As far as web design, my view on the current state of affairs is that it is much like standing next to a rushing river after a storm. If you jump in, you will be swept away. There is really no way of controlling this monster. To clarify, I love the web, the utility is mind boggling - and I am fairly certain that my 2 sons (10 and 13) have more collective knowledge from the web than the combined intelligence of many third world countries. Staggering intelligence.

Regarding web design, over the years (I have been designing for the web since around 1995 or 96) I can't even fucking remember. Similar nonsense occurred back then - only on a more primitive scale.

The standardization of browser sizes and monitor sizes seemed to be coming to a point of stasis over the past year. Designing for 1000px wide seemed "safe" although there are many, many nihilists with smaller screens.

Now, Apple is releasing a MacBook pro with high resolution display. This will make designing for the web even more challenging as a design will have to look good on a high res display, as well as an older monitor - say 1024x768.

The "responsive design" movement is not design in my opinion, it is letting the medium design you. Designers are really just filling boxes with images. This is not true design in my opinion. It is geometry and a creative version of scrabble.

If there was a - gasp - standardization of screen sizes, it would allow designers and creative people truly focus on design - not worrying if their design will work across browser sizes. For brands and clients, it would be a much less embarrassing situation in terms of your website. For example, your website might look amazing on a Mac, but looks positively squashed on an older PC. (I won't even go into how PC's are utterly piss-poor when it comes to rendering type. It is a travesty)....or it might look super tiny on a huge Apple Cinema Display. 

Responsive design is not the answer, as many clients to not have boxes, or images, and don't want a site that behaves differently on different machines. 

Truth be told, I like many responsive design examples, but it is a fad. I have seen fads come and go over the years and this is another one. The tipping point will be when clients start to see site after site on an agencies portfolio that all look the same. Also, I am happy that we don't have to design for 640x480 anymore. It was horrifying. Clement Mok (remember him?) and his teams excelled at this - this was the responsive design of the day. Seems pretty stupid now, cross hatching drop-shadows, little hockey stick nav websites.

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The ghost has messed with me before, and I am sure it has messed with you.

The ghost is this: the scent left on objects such as doorknobs, phones, paper towel dispenser handles, etc of cheap, very strong cologne that quickly becomes part of your life once you touch those objects.

Once you touch them and have the ghost on you  - it is too late - there is little you can do. If you try and wash your hands well, the ghost rests on the spigot/handle and follows you more. Anything you touch you infect, and soon, you are surrounded, Your steering wheel. Your chair armrest. Your coffee cup.

I offer no help with avoiding this. You just need to be super careful. I lost hours last week being surrounded by some Eastern European disco ghost last week. It drove me crazy. I am OK now. I will exact revenge. Watch out Hugo Boss, watch out Old Spice!

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I am guilty of this as well.

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Just completed some really innovative HTML 5 design on behalf of SS+K for Crystal Light - our first packaged goods work ever. The difference with ours is - unlike most - it looks sick, not stupid.

How does your work look?

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Burial
Street Halo


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Look for our ad in the new LeBook - coming out in the fall. 

New offices - stay tuned.

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Holy shit.

The sad thing is, the majority of the population is inward facing. The economy, their relationships, work. Many cried "this is a waste money, stupid - who needs this - we need jobs!" They are not wrong, but this point of view is so short-sighted it is sickening.

We need something to dream about.

The generations past had the first flight by the Wright Brothers (and the French guy who did it before them). They had Charles Lindbergh. I remember as a very small child seeing the first man walk on the moon. It is just a blurry memory but one of the few things I actually remember. All eyes were to the sky, dreaming about the possibilities. All people have to dream about now is a new fucking iPhone with 4G.

What does this have to do with design and creative? Everything. Just think how the space age influenced all design - industrial, architecture - print. Imagine how design would be different if American kids here in NY - slaving away on the newest website craze - were able to see what is going on in Spain, Argentina or Paris first hand? The creativity in these countries is beyond belief, and would dramatically change our very pragmatic approach to things like web design. To wit - in Europe - people still want to create "experiential" websites.

Anyway, all I ask is that our government, all governments - is to not be afraid of spending on innovation. The money spent is a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of a static, device-worshiping world. Also, the money spent on these initiatives will help people and global economies one-billion fold if it actually works. It will change the world for the better. 

Help someone else. It's harder than helping yourself.

Elvis
Kentucky Rain


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