Fueled by Peppermint Hot Chocolate
I'm leaving on Friday for the 10 hour drive back to Virginia, coming back to Atlanta on the 2nd, and then working up until graduation. 2006 should be exciting...it will be strange not being involved with the academic life for the first time in 20 years. Eventually I'd love to teach in some form again (anything but middle school), probably like the instructors at PC who have their day jobs and then hold class during night. And I'll be heading back to UVA for the first time in forever early next year for a PC recruiting trip. It's funny; just this week I was talking to my friend Jasmine, and we remembered when she sent me an email in college about the Portfolio Center interest meeting because it seemed "like a Dave type of school". And now I'm going back, to be part of that exact same meeting in that exact same place, just four years later. Hank said he wants to have a real UVA experience, so we're planning to eat nothing but Gusburgers and streak the lawn before getting hammered on Rugby Road.
Happy holidays everyone.
Monday, December 19 at 8:06 PM
Okay Thanks
Thank you for the all the great feedback from okaydave, especially Core77, 3jorn, Newstoday and everyone at theroot42. I'm working hard on finishing the portfolio now, and hope it lives up to your expectations (less rap, more work).
Thursday, December 15 at 8:45 PM
Okaydave Launches
The new portfolio site Okaydave.com launched today with a short taste of things to come. Kanye, I am so sorry.
Tuesday, December 13 at 11:19 PM
I Heart Publix
I hold a lot of brand loyalty towards companies like Nintendo, Ikea and Pixar...and now Publix (a southern-based grocery store chain). While unpacking groceries today, I realized that almost every single item in my bags was from Publix's own store brand. We're talking everything from hot chocolate to toilet paper to hot dogs. True, I'm always trying to save money with food, and their prices are always lower than the name brands...but I never had this kind of loyalty to the local Harris Teeter in Charlottesville or Safeway in Baltimore. The difference lies in how Publix presents themselves. Their packaging is freakin' amazing. The simple, clean design contrasts heavily with the "how much crap can I stuff on this label" packaging of so many name brands. When you're scanning the store shelves, your eye is immediately drawn in towards the high contrast of the white with usually a single bold color. Their newspaper inserts carry the same clean visuals, seeming more like formal invitations than coupon-crazy booklets. The stores feel pristine, a welcome difference from the organic warehouse look. And somehow I leave with a shopping cart full of simple white labels without feeling like a poor grad student. I'm definitely going to miss these guys if I head outta the south next year...never thought I would say that about a grocery store.
Sunday, December 11 at 6:08 PM
Project Runway 2
I'm hooked on Project Runway again...it's one of the few shows on television where they reward creativity. Season two began last night (Wednesdays, 10PM on Bravo) and started off great, with one challenge forcing the contestants to make something new from the clothes off of their own backs. Chloe is my choice to win; Emmett is second. Santino is good, but his inflated ego will be his downfall, mark my words. Zulema will probably share a similar fate. Daniel Franco (the first guy voted out last season who came back for a second chance) knows his stuff, even if his artsy attitude is a little off-putting. Diana is my underdog favorite...she's so shy and socially awkward but I'll be rooting for her regardless. Big fan of Daniel Vosovic, Nick, and Raymundo too. That's right, two shows in and I'm already on a first name basis with these guys.
Thursday, December 8 at 7:00 PM
Romeo and Juliet, They Never Felt This Way I Bet
Just a reminder: if you're on the east coast and don't have New Year's plans yet, feel free to hang out with us at the 103 Swashington party in Philadelphia. Judging from the comments, it seems like we're going to have a solid crowd. Been practicing my Madonna...
Wednesday, December 7 at 11:42 AM
Coming Soon
Sunday, December 4 at 3:26 PM
The Future of Commercial Music (I Hope)
About 70% of music today is filtered worldwide through the mega labels EMI, Sony BMG, Universal and Warner. For the better part of the recorded music industry's lifespan, there has been immense pressure for artists to create "radio-friendly" music: songs are instantly catchy, fit into 2-4 minutes, and follow a predictable verse-bridge-chorus pattern. So when I hear a song like Green Day's Jesus of Suburbia or Sigur Ros' Saeglopur, I feel amazed that it can hold my interest for over 7 minutes. Both of these songs break free from a typical commercial structure, and instead explore themes in several interesting and progressive ways.
With digital music slowly putting distribution control and independent rights back in the hands of the artist, hopefully popular music will break free of these label-enforced restraints. The definition of what constitutes "music" should not be limited to these neatly-packaged singles. Why not let a song last for several movements like a symphony? Why not explore musical themes through several variations? What would the same song sound like performed by an orchestra, over hip-hop beats, or acoustic only? Now that we are not limited by how much information can fit on a CD, the concept of an album can be pushed too. It would be great to see a modern-day attempt at something along the lines of Wagner's operatic ring trilogy.
This isn't to say the 3-minute single doesn't have a place in tomorrow's music. It definitely will. But the digital age has the potential to push more diverse music into the mainstream, and for artists to have the room to explore without time constraints. I hope the same thing happens to movies and television. Movies don't have to be 2-3 hours long. Television shows don't have to solve all of their problems in half-hour segments and include several commercial break cliffhangers. These preconceived standards of time limit creativity, and I hope they disappear sooner than later.
Saturday, December 3 at 9:05 AM
Portfolio Center Knowledge Base
Sometimes prospective Portfolio Center students Google their way over here and want to know what it's like, you know, being on the inside. Things have gotten to the point where I'm copying and pasting the same recycled responses, so it's high time to make a permanent page of answers to direct people towards. Please note that this is just one design student's perspective, and that I'm a pathological liar. (Updated 2.3.06)
What is the workload like?
It's hard to estimate the time involved with school each day or week, but you'll still have time for a social life if that's what you're worried about. You'll have 4-6 classes a week, each lasting up to 4.5 hours (but usually a little less). Weekly work for each class is probably 2-5 hours apiece, depending on your sanity level and personal time management.
What are the classes like?
Some of the classes I took were called Design Aesthetics, Type II, Systems and Brand Integration, Logos, Design History, Product Design, Type and Image, After Effects, Flash, Production and Annual Reports, just to name a few. Most of these are taught by design professionals within the Atlanta area that are working freelance or at a creative place in the city. The classes are not based around lectures, but rather critique-driven. You are constantly refining and bringing in your work, and your peers and instructors give you feedback each week. This is great because being inspired other people's work and being able to critique them well makes your work that much stronger. Sizes are typically small (4 people in my smallest, 15 in my largest), and you can take one-on-one directed elective classes down the road. The structure works well.
What's the structure of the program? How are you graded?
Two years full time, spread out over eight quarters. Your eighth quarter is spent entirely on perfecting your old projects and making a final portfolio with the help of grad advisors. Each quarter ends with a studio week (one week without classes to finish up all of your projects) and a critique week (where you present your work to a panel and get judged). Critiques can feel like a firing squad at times, but in the end you're here to learn and improve, so as long as the panel gives you reasons behind their criticisms, it will be a good experience.
What is first quarter like?
First quarter is where you're thrown headfirst into the trenches, learn all the rules and get your grounding. In design and art direction and media architecture, everyone takes pretty much the same classes for their first two quarters. One class in particular, Design Aesthetics with Sylvia Gaffney, is design boot camp...but you learn a lot. It's really not all that bad. The people who run into trouble are a) those who take critiques personally and b) those who try to slack off. You'll survive.
What about photographers, writers and illustrators?
If you come down to visit PC, try to schedule time to talk with a current student in one of these disciplines if that's what you're interested in - they'll do a better job explaining it than I could.
Where should I live? How is Atlanta?
I love Atlanta. The traffic and public transportation aren't great, but the ATL is still a great city. Many students live in Colonial Homes Apartments, which is right behind the school, or several nearby apartment communities. Definitely try to live close to school, especially starting out...why fight traffic and pay for gas when there are so many affordable places to live close by? Save the swanky bachelor pad for after graduation. I've been at Colonial Homes since the first day and it's fine. Free laundry service; that sealed the deal for me.
I don't even know what design means.
Neither did I. People from all sorts of backgrounds and ages come here, but the one thing we have in common is our creativity. Even if you can only draw stick figures or can't turn on a computer, you'll be fine. And don't worry about choosing what discipline you want to be right away (design? art direction? media architecture?)...there will be plenty of time to sort that all out, and some people are able to straddle between several different areas.
What discipline were you?
Technically design, but I started out in art direction, and focused primarily on interactive design later on. I came into school thinking, well, if I'm committing two years of my life to this, I should try everything out and get my money's worth. It turned out to be an awesome experience, having me work on things I never thought I could do before (A chair? A coffee machine? A brand system for Russia?). The design discipline allowed me that creative freedom. If you're into advertising, do art direction, but definitely ask to take design classes too...it will make your work much stronger.
How can I make bread shortening without it sticking to the pan?
Use margarine instead of butter.
Will PC help me get a job?
The networking was a major selling point for me. PC alumni are all over the world, and the name is well-respected in the industry. If you ever wanted to get a foot in the door for that dream company you're thinking about, chances are there's a PC connection somewhere. Twice a year the school holds portfolio reviews in New York, recruiters come down year-round to conduct on-site interviews, and chances are you'll be flying around to quite a few interviews.
What's the WORST thing about Portfolio Center?
Not every class is a winner. Every quarter I probably had one class that didn't meet my expectations. As a former teacher, I recognize that good teaching is a skill itself. No matter how brilliant a designer someone may be, it doesn't automatically make them a great instructor. But what you have to do in those situations is push yourself further, going beyond the normal expectations. Don't lower your standards simply because the instruction is weak. Luckily, in my experience at least, these cases were fairly infrequent.
Can I work part-time during school?
Having an income is definitely nice. Most people don't start working until around 2nd or 3rd quarter. I worked part-time from 2nd-6th quarter, and never felt helplessly overwhelmed trying to balance everything. I'd recommend not working first quarter, seeing how it goes, and then start thinking about it during second quarter. There are also opportunities to work part-time at school.
Is PC accurate in saying it's the equivalent of 5-7 years of industry experience?
Having not been in the industry for 5-7 years, I can't really answer this one yet. However, it seems that PC designers are consistently above average and land some pretty freakin' sweet jobs. At the very least, I think the small student body and expansive alumni network open the door to unique opportunities you certainly couldn't find just starting fresh out of an undergrad program or with freelance work alone.
DUDE, GET ME AN INTERNSHIP AT PENTAGRAM!
Dude, come to Portfolio Center and try out yourself! PC and Pentagram are friends. Every year there's a little competition for mid-quarter students to select a handful of people to serve 3-month internships in NYC. But don't worry if it doesn't work out - there are plenty of great part-time and full-time internship opportunities through the PC network.
What advice would you give to an incoming student?
Visit the school and sit in on a class or two.
Work hard, play hard.
Get to know Hank...request to be in his insane 5:30 AM class.
Take lots of pictures and movies.
Hope that helps. If you have additional questions, send them through the mailbox and I'll try to answer/archive them here in the near future.
Thursday, December 1 at 3:37 PM
Okay Samurai Multimedia is Dave Werner's personal site. I'm currently working at Minor Studios in San Francisco. Thanks for visiting! (more...)
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