Friday, May 17, 2013

Shel Perkins Lecture "Talent is not enough" - CIA 2013.05.29

Shel Perkins Lecture
Talent is not enough
Wednesay, May 29, 2013
Cleveland Institute of Art
Joseph McCullough Center for the Visual Arts - Screening Room
11610 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
6.30-8pm

via: AIGA Cleveland of which I now wish I were a member.

It takes more than talent to launch and sustain a successful design firm — you need solid business skills as well. In this special presentation, design management guru Shel Perkins will share insider information on crucial legal and financial issues, including how to avoid common mistakes related to hiring, intellectual property, client contracts, cash flow, and more.



It takes more than talent to launch and sustain a successful design firm — you need solid business skills as well. In this special presentation, design management guru Shel Perkins will share insider information on crucial legal and financial issues, including how to avoid common mistakes related to hiring, intellectual property, client contracts, cash flow, and more.

Speaker
Shel Perkins is a graphic designer, management consultant and educator with more than twenty years of experience in managing the operations of leading design firms in the U.S. and the U.K. He has served on the national boards of AIGA and the Association of Professional Design Firms. He is chairman of the AIGA Center for Practice Management. His best-selling book,Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets For Designers, is available from New Riders.
6:30 to 7:30 - Presentation
7:30 to 8 p.m. - Q&A
8 to 8:15 - Book signing
Special thanks to event sponsor Cleveland Institute of Art. 

COST TO ATTEND 
This is a members only event with a limited seating availability, so don’t wait to register!
Contributing members: $15
Supporting and Sustaining members: $10
Design Leaders and Trustees: Free
Student members: $10

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

April 2013 Reading List Recap

I am running out of material that fits my criteria to read on the commute to and from the office; mostly size derived so as to fit quickly into my bag and also not be too cumbersome to read while standing up. I suppose my future reading selections will have to be made in this manner. I am attempting to read larger materials at home but with the constant desire to enjoy the nicer weather coupled with working on interesting things in my off hours, time to sit on the porch and read is scarce. Here's to next month.

CLOG:Brutalism - This quarter's edition of CLOG focused on the style and theory of Brutalism. Having fought to protect Marcel Bruer's Ameritrust Tower from Cuyahoga's Couty's wrecking ball it has a special place in my heart. CLOG contained the usual mastery of well conceived and written pieces and was guest edited by Michael Abrahamson, currently a Doctoral Candidate at University of Michigan, who has a personal vested interest in Brutalism which he shares on his blog Fuck Yeah Brutalism. CLOG continues to appease me and I find myself constantly looking forward to the next issue. 9/10

LOG:25 - The highlight of this issue (for me) was the interview between Negri and Roche.

This is Hybrid - a+t: This primer was a go to source for teaching second year as the first project, first semester typically included an aggregated residential program mixed with some sort of commercial program in order to begin having the students explore private/public relationships and the idea of approach/entry. This is Hybrid offers very quick descriptions of multiple large scale mixed use projects and proposals coupled with a+t's prolific and excellent diagramming. The projects require analyzing the accompanying photos, drawings and diagrams to supplement the provided text and ideas. 8/10

The Architecture of Happiness: Alian de Botton - A quick and easy read on the importance of understanding how personal (world)views can influence design to the potential detriment of the client. Corbu receives a slight flogging for Villa Savoy as Botton attempts to espouse the importance of balancing two of the main tenants of Architecture, aesthetics and functionality (Vitruvius anyone?). There is some interesting roleplaying here, seeing the project as evolved from the designer's eye and then from the response of the client, something that should in no way be alien to good designers, but something that is often overlooked by the mediocrity that surrounds us. At first read it seems light and playful, but there is some hidden snark that should cause those of us familiar with the vocation to take a pause and ponder on what is truly being discussed.  8/10

Blue Cats and Chartreuse Kittens: How Synethestes Color Their World: Patrica Lynne Duffy - While aware of synthesia I admit I hadn't given it much thought until recently. Blue Cats explores the world of citizens who react to certain stimuli with multiple senses (eg see music as colors, taste sounds, etc.) from the view of a an author who is synethestes (I know I am going to missue the application of the word 'synethesia' as an adjective or pronoun, and I apologize for that). Regardless Blue Cats provides a very interesting look at information coding and sensory perception from an unfamiliar vantage point. Using personal anecdotes, memories and color plates for visual explanation one can start to attempt to imagine how the world of synethesia could appear. I admit I find the theories regarding language making, pattern recognition and recall mnemonics extremely interesting so Duffy's contribution was very relevant and actually quite enjoyable. Provided at the end of the book are links (potentially slightly outdated) for future research. 8/10

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Todd Hiro Opening "Excerpts from Silver Meadows" - Transformer Station - 2013.05.23

via: Transformer Station





Cocktails and dinner with Todd Hido to celebrate the opening of Excerpts from Silver Meadows at the Transformer Station
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Todd Hido
Reserve your place at an exclusive preview of the first museum show of the latest work of internationally renowned photographer Todd Hido and the launch of his lavish new monograph.  Excerpts from Silver Meadows is cinematic in scope; a darkly dramatic glimpse into a world that reflects both the alienation and dislocation in contemporary society and the inspiration of noir film and literature.

Todd Hido will be signing his new catalog published by Nazraeli Press on the occasion of this show with major support by the Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Foundation.

This event will benefit the Transformer Station's mission to remain free to the public and inspire creativity and innovation through the arts.

Tickets to the event will be $175 and $250 per person and guests will become charter members of the Transformer Station's membership program.
Tickets at the $175 level will include cocktails and dinner and basic membership at the "Sparks" level to support the Transformer Station.
Tickets at the $250 level will include cocktails and dinner and membership at the "Generators" level to support the Transformer Station.  
Reserve your place now at this exclusive opening event by sending an email to info@TransformerStation.org or call 216-938-5429.