Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (1)

From the public display of honesty department
November 30, 2007

As I walk the halls of the University, I take note of the posters and flyers that people have posted. Sometimes I take down and recycle those that are out of date, and sometimes I take down posters that are posted in inappropriate places.

I remove commercial posters from academic and student bulletin boards. Those spaces are limited to activities and events produced by and for our students. Most everything else I leave alone, and it’s a panacea of bad typography, glaringly-ugly photography, and occasional bad taste. Sometimes I remove a poster and take it to class as an example of how not to spell or how not to use type. These public displays of bad graphic art are occasionally the starting point of an excellent lecture.

I try to reinforce concepts of style and quality imagery. I push for answers to my questions about effectiveness and communication: why does this work? Why does this one not work?

Last week I took one to class that was just plain honest. I laughed out loud when I saw it, and my typography students were especially amused by the sign. We left it posted in our classroom for the rest of the week.

I wish more people would admit that they need a graphic artist. There is so much bad work produced that it boggles the mind. Ownership of a PC does not make one an artist any more than ownership of a violin makes one a musician. The tool is one thing; the skill to use it is another.

I do my part to change things: I teach successive generations of students how to use the tools of our trade effectively. And, I appreciate the quality and ubiquity of the software that makes it possible for anyone with a computer and a copy of Adobe InDesign to make ugly posters. It’s just too bad that more people don’t have the guts to put up signs like this one. This guy knows he needs help; the rest need help but they don’t know it.

Posted by Brian Lawler on November 30, 2007 | Comments (1)