Comments on: What is Art Direction (No. 9) http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/ Web design news and insights since 1995 Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:13:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Cursor Link Archives, August, 2007 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-48920 Cursor Link Archives, August, 2007 Mon, 12 Oct 2009 20:22:32 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-48920 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] [...]

]]> By: Content AND Presentation | Mark Boulton http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-48885 Content AND Presentation | Mark Boulton Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:22:20 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-48885 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] Jef­frey Zeld­man and Khoi Vinh are amongst a group of design­ers who have bemoaned the absence of art dir­ec­tion on the web. Khoi sums up my feel­ings exactly: At this stage in the devel­op­ment of Web design, we have become, I think, engrossed thor­oughly by the prac­tical dif­fi­culty (and the legit­im­ate chal­lenges) of achiev­ing aes­thet­ic­ally reward­ing user inter­faces. As a res­ult, our focus has become trained almost exclus­ively on design­ing plat­forms, on invest­ing our innov­a­tion efforts within the infra­struc­ture of our design solu­tions — in nav­ig­a­tion con­ven­tions, mne­monic devices, user inputs, sys­tem feed­back, etc. And we’ve given up, at least for now, on the oppor­tun­ity to innov­ate within the present­a­tion, the shap­ing of visual con­struc­tions spe­cific to a given piece of content. [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] Jef­frey Zeld­man and Khoi Vinh are amongst a group of design­ers who have bemoaned the absence of art dir­ec­tion on the web. Khoi sums up my feel­ings exactly: At this stage in the devel­op­ment of Web design, we have become, I think, engrossed thor­oughly by the prac­tical dif­fi­culty (and the legit­im­ate chal­lenges) of achiev­ing aes­thet­ic­ally reward­ing user inter­faces. As a res­ult, our focus has become trained almost exclus­ively on design­ing plat­forms, on invest­ing our innov­a­tion efforts within the infra­struc­ture of our design solu­tions — in nav­ig­a­tion con­ven­tions, mne­monic devices, user inputs, sys­tem feed­back, etc. And we’ve given up, at least for now, on the oppor­tun­ity to innov­ate within the present­a­tion, the shap­ing of visual con­struc­tions spe­cific to a given piece of content. [...]

]]> By: Annotated | Jason Santa Maria http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-44114 Annotated | Jason Santa Maria Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:48:06 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-44114 <!--%kramer-ref-pre%-->[...] was expecting more, or in the words of Jeffrey “…something else. It makes us feel. It makes us think. It holds up the mirror to our [...]<!--%kramer-ref-post%--> [...] was expecting more, or in the words of Jeffrey “…something else. It makes us feel. It makes us think. It holds up the mirror to our [...]

]]> By: shopping http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-38339 shopping Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:04:44 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-38339 I do wonder, however, how many people will really pick up the message through the art direction or they won't think about it at all? In other words, is it only artists and creative individuals who pick up those things or does the ordinary person actually register the message in such an entirety? I know a lot of people who don't seem to really get the message in its entirety because there are a lot of things they don't know about what the message is saying / where it's placed etc. I do wonder, however, how many people will really pick up the message through the art direction or they won’t think about it at all? In other words, is it only artists and creative individuals who pick up those things or does the ordinary person actually register the message in such an entirety? I know a lot of people who don’t seem to really get the message in its entirety because there are a lot of things they don’t know about what the message is saying / where it’s placed etc.

]]> By: Nano http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-24921 Nano Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:27:21 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-24921 Mmmm.... Well, no...Not like a gap ad at all, unless we concede that all visual styles which employ a white background are based on 'Gap Ads'. The ad (particularly the font and font placement) actually references and evokes much of the aesthetic of the 'Why We Fight' campaign employed in the 40s (updated of course, but notice the stiffness of the woman's pose, a graphic outline brought to life), and throws light upon the fashion in which that historic epoch was evoked in the drive to war (ie the rambling line about how Saddam, with his broken shambles of an army, was somehow comparable to the Third Reich.) Mmmm…. Well, no…Not like a gap ad at all, unless we concede that all visual styles which employ a white background are based on ‘Gap Ads’. The ad (particularly the font and font placement) actually references and evokes much of the aesthetic of the ‘Why We Fight’ campaign employed in the 40s (updated of course, but notice the stiffness of the woman’s pose, a graphic outline brought to life), and throws light upon the fashion in which that historic epoch was evoked in the drive to war (ie the rambling line about how Saddam, with his broken shambles of an army, was somehow comparable to the Third Reich.)

]]> By: Angel http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19844 Angel Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:43:52 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19844 This is a great artical because in my oppinion it raises the alarm about the war and the kind of people that are serving at war i.e. the "model" in the ad. The ad speaks very loudly through the image, and it has a much larger impact on me than if i was to come across an artical with no image, that was talking about the war. The idea of it being styled and framed almost exactly like an american Gap ad, reflects the way the american culture sees the war, and how serios it really is to them and also how the American Culture is so based on consumerism. The way i see the ad is that it is mimmicking the way they would advertise for enrolling to be in the army as a good thing for you and your country, and because people are emotionally envolved in their country and thier culture they would also see it as a good thing. . .I think i went a bit off track:) This is a great artical because in my oppinion it raises the alarm about the war and the kind of people that are serving at war i.e. the “model” in the ad. The ad speaks very loudly through the image, and it has a much larger impact on me than if i was to come across an artical with no image, that was talking about the war. The idea of it being styled and framed almost exactly like an american Gap ad, reflects the way the american culture sees the war, and how serios it really is to them and also how the American Culture is so based on consumerism. The way i see the ad is that it is mimmicking the way they would advertise for enrolling to be in the army as a good thing for you and your country, and because people are emotionally envolved in their country and thier culture they would also see it as a good thing. . .I think i went a bit off track:)

]]> By: The Graf http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19843 The Graf Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:39:00 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19843 I am confused by the overall tone I am confused by the overall tone

]]> By: jayc http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19842 jayc Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:34:06 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19842 "challenge us to think about something besides our next new sweater or iPod." Beautifully written, thought provoking and insightful. Nothing like images invoking thought in an ordinary individual. “challenge us to think about something
besides our next new sweater or iPod.”

Beautifully written, thought provoking and insightful. Nothing like images invoking thought in an ordinary individual.

]]> By: jesse http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19841 jesse Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:33:28 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19841 I think the image is very effective, because it could be an ad for clothing or even the watch, it certainly made me pause and think for a sec. I also like how the content keeps getting smaller on each line, so you have to get closer as you get more curious. I'm sure a lot of thought went into it. nice article! I think the image is very effective, because it could be an ad for clothing or even the watch, it certainly made me pause and think for a sec.

I also like how the content keeps getting smaller on each line, so you have to get closer as you get more curious.

I’m sure a lot of thought went into it.

nice article!

]]> By: kevin http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19840 kevin Mon, 03 Sep 2007 01:32:02 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19840 An image can often be more effective than many words if it is created with a lot of thought about what the message is about. It tends to have great impact especially for social change issues. eg. anti war, environmental, poverty issues. An image can often be more effective than many words if it is created with a lot of thought about what the message is about. It tends to have great impact especially for social change issues. eg. anti war, environmental, poverty issues.

]]> By: socrates http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19367 socrates Thu, 23 Aug 2007 23:56:10 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19367 Of course, there is no intended connection to the Gap ads. It is all our Zeldman directing his own intellectual fantasies and attributions. Nothing wrong with that, though... Of course, there is no intended connection to the Gap ads. It is all our Zeldman directing his own intellectual fantasies and attributions.

Nothing wrong with that, though…

]]> By: Design for MySpace http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19278 Design for MySpace Wed, 22 Aug 2007 14:52:48 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19278 I liked the way you portray your ideas in an article form. keep this spirit buddy. I liked the way you portray your ideas in an article form. keep this spirit buddy.

]]> By: Daivd Orlowski http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19261 Daivd Orlowski Wed, 22 Aug 2007 04:34:03 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19261 J, Here is tonight's free proofreading: "...challenge us ^[to] think about something besides our next new sweater or iPod" Because writing this f%king good shouldn't be forced to prepose its own prepositions. Okay, it's late, that's the closest I can get to wit right now. Seriously, though, a great piece. Hope all's well! -D J,

Here is tonight’s free proofreading: “…challenge us ^[to] think about something besides our next new sweater or iPod”

Because writing this f%king good shouldn’t be forced to prepose its own prepositions. Okay, it’s late, that’s the closest I can get to wit right now. Seriously, though, a great piece. Hope all’s well!

-D

]]> By: Gustaf http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19186 Gustaf Mon, 20 Aug 2007 23:29:28 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19186 This one had me thinking. Do we subconsciously art direct ourselves, as well as other people? I guess we do. Our lives are full of non-verbally triggered content. The clothes we wear, the context we put ourselves in, "books we like to be seen reading"...the list goes on and on. We hope to inspire the right thoughts, but every now and then it all goes wrong. No matter how hard we try. Great many minds don't think alike. It explains a lot, really. Great post. This one had me thinking. Do we subconsciously art direct ourselves, as well as other people? I guess we do. Our lives are full of non-verbally triggered content. The clothes we wear, the context we put ourselves in, “books we like to be seen reading”…the list goes on and on. We hope to inspire the right thoughts, but every now and then it all goes wrong. No matter how hard we try. Great many minds don’t think alike. It explains a lot, really. Great post.

]]> By: Shane http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19170 Shane Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:01:01 +0000 http://www.zeldman.com/2007/08/17/what-is-art-direction-no-9/#comment-19170 Nice post, and thoughts on a well art directed ad campaign. This is my first time viewing the poster, and I'm sure seeing it large and in print is more impactful, then me stumbling upon it on the web, but it still did alot of the things you wrote about it doing, as far as emotionally impacting me (the viewer.) Nice post, and thoughts on a well art directed ad campaign. This is my first time viewing the poster, and I’m sure seeing it large and in print is more impactful, then me stumbling upon it on the web, but it still did alot of the things you wrote about it doing, as far as emotionally impacting me (the viewer.)

]]>