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Wood type continues to draw interest as the film Typeface, about the revival of the Hamilton Wood Type Museum, premieres around the globe. And on April 22nd, it was screened in Peoria, with a talk by director/filmmaker Justine Nagan. It also provided an opportunity to make use of our own collection of wood type, creating a poster using collagraph textures and some metal type printed on our Vandercook SP-15.

Letterpress and other tactile media continue to garner more attention these days from designers and clients alike. People respond to the very qualities that differentiate these objects and processes from the plethora of digital media. Designers find the the hands-on processes refreshing after working exclusively in virtual space for so long.

At the recent College Book Arts Association meeting (Oregon College of Art and Craft, January 8-10th, 2010) one of the more exciting discussions was on digital media in book arts. I wish it could have continued. While I have a dual appointment in the both art and interactive media, I share some of the misgivings over the “digital blessing” that have been bestowed upon us, and I council students on how and when to make use of them as practical tools. I spent a recent sabbatical doing hand bookbinding and letterpress printing.

Slowing down to the pace of handwork gives more time for reflection and observation. I sometimes liken it to the difference between walking and driving a car (and all the extensions of that metaphor). Perhaps the Pacific Crest Trail versus the Pacific Coast Highway.

Do digital and hand work mix? I have to say NO!
From teaching drawing, I found over and over it was not good to teach perspective systems at the same time I taught responsive observation—different parts of the brain, I suppose. Some people can intuitively do both simultaneously, but most, particularly students, trip up in the process. .

A better approach is to keep distinct times and places for each process. Certain environmental cues can facilitate the shift to a slower more reflective kind of work. I would suggest for individuals, set up a special desk or work area specifically for hand media. Different ergonomics, including lighting and chair configuration are required for sustained handwork versus digital work. Don’t try to keep your sketchbook beside your computer. Instead, clean off that old drafting table, pull out the cutting mat, sharpen some pencils and (for God’s sake!) open the blinds and get some daylight in, or get a good lamp.

This approach can apply to classroom settings and offices as well as the individual studio. We have reduced the size of desks and increased the amount of clutter: usually centering on them a keyboard and monitor. This makes it all but impossible to do serious manual work. Drawing, cutting, handwork of any kind, requires a more meditative and fluid workspace. I don’t want to go too far with the notion of “chi” here, but there is a body of thought that holds that to do any craft work (draw, cut, carve) you had to be physically rooted and balanced: feet on the floor and aware of your physical and emotional center.

When to teach digital media? To be a responsible educator, I have to equip my students with what they need; teachers and practicing craftspersons need to know digital media. But I find most undergraduates hungry for digital media; and I have to satisfy that hunger before I can expect some of them to appreciate the alternative. (Note “SOME”—not all will be able to or want to loosen their grip on the mouse.) That said, it is terrific that there are places, the OCAC, perhaps, for people who are ready to make that leap; where they can go and embrace the craft aesthetic and process. One of the great things about the American educational system is that there is room for programs that cover the full spectrum of possibilities.

My most recent bookwork came out of digital media. The little cast of characters in my most recent book projects (http://www.flickr.com/photos/portfoliolab/sets/ ) were created originally for some fun flash animations. (http://designwriting.info/indexl2.html)

Sarah Kelly just sent me this link to a page on Creative Opera that shows some examples of résumés and matching web sites. The advice given at the end of the examples is excellent. Many of the examples are good, although some seem to border of being too busy. Here is the link:

http://www.creativeopera.com/2009/beautiful-design-resumes-and-their-matching-portfolio-websites/

Graphic Design Portfolio Strategies for Print and Digital Media is now listed on the Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com web sites. It is priced at $26.69, paperback, with full color inside. It can be pre-ordered, with an availability date of January 15, 2009. I hope you find it useful.

Conducted January 2, 2007, with
Karisma Williams
User Interface Producer
High Voltage Software
Chicago
http://www.motiv.matimeo.com/

Rowe: The list of job-search “dos” and “don’ts” you gave were very good and covered a lot of important areas. I would like to get more specific about some of your ideas for on-line portfolios

Karisma: Awesome!

Rowe: Judging from your own web sites, you seem to feel that having the work presented right from the start with out a lot of fuss is a good idea.

Karisma: Yes. people are busy—very busy—so they just want to see your work. I recently picked up a contract with EA Games from my web site, and its not even done. But it served its purpose.

Rowe: You seem to prefer working in flash, which gives a richly interactive experience, I guess that works well for your target audience. Did they give you any feedback as to what on your site they responded to?

Karisma: Well the current new site, is all Javascript. no flash. it just moves like Flash. I’m pretty anti flash when it comes to portfolios at this stage. Before…it was great for getting work. Sony just liked my sense of design. My Flash use was interesting but not overly intrusive. As time went on I was using flash, but everything was very much done using external files. (http://www.matimeo.com/indexv5.php ) This got me 2nd place at Sony Online…I was so close to that job but happy I didn’t get it.

Rowe: Nice music on that site, but I did get tired of hearing it after a while. I guess, back to your advice about not letting the branding overpower the content

Karisma: Sony loved it. Always know your audience. Lots of little stuff going on in that one, but too much really, IMO more of experimentation. Nintendo liked this one –
http://free.matimeo.com/stubbs.html
This was never finished…I was working on it before I got laid off, but then I just sent it to companies anyway. I got a lot of interest from it.

Rowe: All the links from that site are your work as well?

Karisma: Yup! I’m prolific…an art director once told me. At the moment, I’m (working full time), in school, and working on a photographer’s website.

Rowe: “Prolific” is how I remember you being as a student. That is why we never hassled you too much. I really can’t understand students who think doing just one of something qualifies them as an expert.

So do feel you can do just about everything with Javascript that you can with Flash, and it is a better (more accessible) platform?

Karisma: Pretty close, javascript and css. I once saw a site that animated like in Flash and it was all done with css and javascript. I think it’s more accessible and quicker. I think Flash is easy to misuse. You can have flash portfolio pieces…but I don’t think your main portfolio needs to be flash unless you want to say that’s all you do. People forget about HR (the Human Resources department) HR doesn’t have Flash 9 on their system.

We, ( two colleagues and I) are embarking on the writing of a textbook on portfolio development for design students. The contract is already signed with a major publisher, we have an advance, and the clock is ticking on our 18 months unitl deadline! Observations that follow will be some of the rambling precursors to that text. I hope you find some of these pre-publication ruminations amusing or valuable. If that is the case, add a comment to the site. And if you have any experiences you would like to share, or a have a portfolio that you think would be of interest, let me know. We might be able to include it in the book.