I did some street shooting here in New York over the weekend, getting some b-roll footage of shopping/consumerism. I took a break to get some lunch, and when I sat down at a table, I stood my camera tripod up and leaned it against the wall of the restaurant. While I was eating, a little boy probably three years old walked up to my table, staring at the tripod. It was about the same height as he was, and he was really fascinated by it.
Then, cautiously, he asked the tripod, “Are you a robot?”
The tripod did not respond.
“Hi there,” I said.
He looked up at me for a second, then back at the tripod.
“Are you a robot?” he asked it again.
“Yes, he is a robot,” I told him. “But he’s taking a nap.”
“Ohhhhh,” the boy nodded. He stared very intently at the tripod-robot for another minute, then his dad came over and got him and they left.
In advance of the US television premiere of Helvetica on January 6th, ITVS and PBS have organized free screenings of the film in dozens of cities across the country as part of their Community Cinema program. See the film free in your city this month:
Today is World AIDS Day, and (RED) has collaborated with Objectified participants IDEO to launch a new digital music service, (RED)WIRE, to help fight AIDS in Africa. For $5 a month, you get an exclusive new song every week from artists like Bob Dylan, Cat Power, Elvis Costello, and Death Cab for Cutie, and 50% of that money goes directly to purchase anti-retroviral drugs for AIDS patients in African countries. Think of it as a digital music magazine that saves lives.
You’re invited to the second lecture in SVA’s “Dot Dot Dot” series, featuring Objectified director Gary Hustwit and three other speakers giving four talks in forty minutes. This month’s topic:
“The Interviewers”
We often see the final result — whether it be a product, a feature film, or a short story. But behind these strong finishes are strong interviewers who conducted bodies of research to inform the outcomes we now enjoy. Whether the fit and finishes of those interviews are visible or not, these interviewers play a pivotal role in shaping the final outcome. Learn from four practitioners how they ask the questions to get the answers they need; how disparate and unexpected research methods can inform the final outcome.
Speakers: Gary Hustwit, Director, Helvetica, Objectified Jason Severs, Principal Designer, frog design Clive Thompson, New York Times Magazine and Wired magazine Elisabeth M. De Morentin, Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design
Monday, December 8, 6pm to 8pm
White Rabbit
145 E Houston Street, New York, NY Update: this event is now sold out.
The “Dot Dot Dot” Lecture Series is meant for broad explorations of interaction design, business, and aesthetic inspiration. Practitioners and thought leaders give short talks in an informal setting. Wisdom will be revealed and methods will be shared in a environment intended to satisfy both social and scholarly pursuits.
Ahhhh… technology. The geniuses at Plexifilm have spent the past two years developing a Sharpie pen that actually writes in Helvetica! This pen is so experimental that it’s priceless… literally. You can’t buy one, but you can get one free with any Helvetica merchandise purchase (DVD, T-shirt, etc.). Get your free pen while they last. It’s a great gift for that person in your life with sloppy handwriting…
* Warning: if you are John Downer or Marian Bantjes then the pen will actually write in Helvetica. Otherwise, your results may vary. Do not swallow. Keep away from open flame and co-workers. May cause drowsiness.
– Tomorrow night, Nov. 20, Bill Moggridge moderates a discussion with Yves Behar and others, to open the “Art & Design in a Global World” Design Preis Schweiz (Swiss Design Award) exhibit in San Francisco
– US television premiere of Helvetica on PBS moved from January 13 to January 6
I feel like I’ve been out of the graphic design news loop lately, and I just discovered that UK design kings Blanka issued a print by one of my graphic design heroes, Amsterdam’s own Wim Crouwel. It’s a meticulously restored edition of Crouwel’s 1968 “Vormgevers” poster. The reprint was overseen by Crouwel himself, and he’s signed the first 50 copies. Get one while they’re still around.
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