August 2017 | In search of creativity
The only time I’ve paid for traditional TV was when I had my first apartment all by myself (which was a while ago, people). I wanted Internet, and it was cheaper to pay for Internet that was bundled with basic TV channels than to order standalone Internet. I lived there for less than a year, and when I moved again, I skipped cable altogether. Since then, I’ve used Blockbuster Online, then Netflix, and then a combo of Netflix and Hulu Plus. As the TV landscape has changed, morphing faster than traditional TV providers expected, what was once a cohesive landscape has splintered, leaving users to cobble together patchwork collections of streaming TV services. AT&T could make this better with good design. Let’s add it to our list.
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HUNT AND PECK TV
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REDESIGNING ATLANTA'S PUBLIC NOTICES
My neighborhood is dotted with new construction. Cranes stand in silhouette against the sky, and heavy machinery dots many a residential plot of land. Impending change shows up in the form of a “Proposed Land Use Action” sign. They’re not pretty, and frankly, they’re boring. Black text. White background. Various font sizes. Contrast that with Atlanta’s redesigned public notices. Eye-catching. Intriguing. Informational. I hope Seattle takes note.
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CAR CRASH ETHICS
As with any groundbreaking product, new rules must be written, rules for that new product to follow, and new boundaries must be set, boundaries inside which that product operates. Autonomous cars are coming. Alongside them, rules are being proposed, voted on, accepted, or rejected. Autonomous cars will have to, among other things, decide who gets hit, in a situation where it’s impossible to avoid hitting someone. We already know that software is racist, sexist, and prejudiced. Can the humans writing the algorithms for autonomous cars fend off these hidden biases? Germany is trying. Self-driving cars in Germany must not discriminate, algorithmically, against any one type of person over another. That means that self-driving car algorithms cannot factor in age, race, gender, disability, or other distinctions when choosing who to hit. Doing the least damage is the goal, with no preference other than “to understand that human life is equal.”
Do you sketch? Not in the Sketch program, but in a notebook? If not, here are six drawing prompts to get you in the habit of drawing. Sketching is a quick way to get your ideas down and play with different designs, and anyhow, drawing is good for your brain.
Want to sketch in color? Try Poscas.
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SIX DRAWING CHALLENGES
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COPYING IS EVERYWHERE
Where do design concepts originate? Take a look at the side-by-side examples of nearly-identical logos in this essay. What constitutes copying? And is it okay to copy a design if you’re not stealing an image outright? Inspiration is a blurry ethical boundary.