Graphic Design
When I first moved to SF, I was such a bumpkin looking for the hustle that I didn't grasp the underlying machinery of this ad's premise. This gives me a lot of insight into people who, in ignorance, work for terrible places, because I was so in the zone with balancing and enhancing visuals that I had almost zero enquiry into the deeper meaning. They told me what to write, and I wrote it, oblivious to the implications of the language used. It's crazy to think about now. This is literally just dawning on me as I review this old work, how little those words meant at the time. "Oh, people want their properties to sell for a lot of money! As a broker, your goal is to ensure they can sell for the highest possible value!" It seemed like good business, common sense. An argument could be made for that in other markets. But learn about the market firsthand, watch how it plays out in people's lives, and it becomes clear that this is not morally neutral at all. That being said, most regulatory efforts fail at economic sustainability. I do think there are many fair solutions for both property owners and renters, but they rarely make it to actionable legislation, unfortunately.
This menu is so maximalist. I love it. So many options. Sometimes he thought it might be overwhelming. It definitely cost a fair bit to replace, but they had nice menu holders that kept the pages clean/washable.
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OVERVIEW
Once in awhile, something turns out looking really damn cool, but in terms of the 2D stuff, mostly it just looks passably "official". I'm not really innovating very much in this field, though the opportunity for innovation exists, though that's probably on me and I intend to step up my game in future projects and try to break out of my geometric comfort zone a bit more.
Why I did it
I wanted to do art but get paid for it and there is more demand for graphic design than illustration. At other times, people need help and don't have much of a budget and people who would charge them more will do worse work, so I take mercy.
What went right
I'm excellent at greeting cards and pretty solid at cool package design.
The more I deviate from the sterile templates of rigid rhomboidal elements, the more I treat it as actual art, the better it tends to go.
Challenges
The ever present tension between: What is fun? What grabs attention? What is legible? What is alienating?
Typography remains a bit of a challenge, but I've definitely improved over the years, taking typography courses online, practicing calligraphy and learning to design custom fonts.
Quality note
I'm okay at graphic design. Sometimes I think the hatred seeps through.
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