Current Event: Lawsuit over Obama's Hope

Artist Shepard Fairey filed a lawsuit last Monday against The Associated Press, claiming it had infringed on his copyright claims. The news photograph he is referring to is one we all know well--the hope campaign poster image of President Obama (shown below).

"Mr. Fairey decided to create the image on his own before contacting the Obama campaign, which welcomed it but never officially adopted it because of copyright concerns. Before the election, Mr. Fairey was best known for his fake-advertising stickers and posters, pasted in cities across the country, showing an ominous, abstracted image of the wrestler Andre the Giant along with the word “Obey.” " -New York Times Article regarding the issue

The law behind design is pretty interesting--people put their work up on the internet all the time, and anyone can take it and call it there own as long as no one else knows about it (illegally, of course). I once heard that if you edit a design by 15% in can be called your own. But that makes me wonder: What defines 15%? Who defines it? The principle is simple but the issue is complicated. It will be interesting to see who prevails in this case.

Lupton Text--the Obama website

Reading the Lupton text only increased and amplified my belief that the design of the website not only defines the company//corporation//or campaign, but also determines whether or not a user will be intrigued by it's aspects. The example I have chosen for this post is Barack Obama's website, which proved essential in his presidential campaign.
























The website conveys so many messages in just a simple, yet intricate design. It emulates American spirit through it's color scheme (Red, White, Blue), and speaks to its audience directly by calling out for real stories and real people. There's a direct link to donate money, as well as to get more involved, volunteer, view media clips, check out the Democratic Party and platform, and many others. Everything about the site is a call to action for unity and spirit, even in the worst of economic times.

Overall, Obama's website is impressive and inspiring. It makes me want to get involved, and cheer for America even when skepticism seems the most popular state of mind. I firmly believe he has accomplished his goal (obviously, I guess) and really portrays a strong, yet subtle message that all audiences can understand.

Welcome to GRA 217 and Our Humble Blog

Welcome to the Graphics 217 blog, the somewhat forced, but hopefully enjoyable exercise in blogging that you will be engaging in this spring as part of your introductory graphic design course. More importantly, welcome back to school after a much deserved break. I'm very excited to be working with you this semester and getting to know you all well over what is going to be an amazingly fast 15 weeks.

This blog is a class exercise yes, but more importantly it is an opportunity for our interactions to extend beyond the classroom. Throughout the semester you will respond the Lupton reading for the class, comment on current events happening in the world of visual communications and add your graphics projects for the rest of the class to view, respond to, learn from and enjoy.

The world of design extends much further than we can even begin to breach in 15 weeks. There are daily examples of the importance of design in your various industries of choice. The presidential campaigns have already given us a number of talking points in design in the past and again this past fall. In the past few months we’ve seen the much discussed emblem of Barack Obama’s campaign. There were also some recent issues surrounding the meaning, or really added meaning, of a scarf worn by Rachel Ray in a Dunkin’ Donuts web advertisement. Those in the communication industry must think and respond to these issues. They must think about whether the redesign of a magazine is appropriate for their audience or how they can use design in their web or print public relations campaigns to not only attract an audience but to disseminate information in a clear and concise manner. Photography plays an important role in this as well. Not only does it play a prevalent role in all of these forms of communication, but the issues surrounding the use and purchase of photography are challenged daily as new forms of photo stock-houses like IStockphoto and stock•xchng change the business models set up in earlier generations of design.

You will face these issues and you will discuss them not only here, but as you begin or continue your career outside the walls of Newhouse in the not too distant future.

To help you along the way and to introduce you to some of my favorite blogs in this industry I’ve started a blogroll to the right that will point you in some interesting directions. Use these as starting points, but don’t forget to use your eyes. You may think I’m crazy right now, but in a few short weeks you will look at the world in a very different way. If I do my job you will understand why you perceive things the way that you do, you’ll criticize the typefaces in movie posters and highway signs and in the packaging of your favorite brands. You will see all that you’ve seen in the past, but with a new layer of understanding that will add to your value as a professional in the communications field. The beauty is watching as you make these discoveries and begin to understand their meaning and share their power. If you see something out in the world as you walk the streets of Syracuse or your hometowns, take a picture or scan it or grab a link and post it up to the blog.

You will be required to post a set number of posts and responses each week of this class as highlighted in the syllabus. These will be graded based on your adherence to deadlines for each post and will also take into account the quality of your posting. By all means feel free to post MORE THAN YOU ARE REQUIRED. We all want to hear what you have to offer and your participation in these discussions will only make for a richer experience for those of you that are vocal and those of you observing the conversation, and really everyone that reads this blog. Just remember, this is open to the public. Your classmates, your instructors, strangers and possibly even potential employers will read the comments you make here. That’s not meant to scare you or censor you, but to remind you that this is a professional exercise that is searchable and readable to all.

My last an final word before things get going is to remind you to ENJOY YOURSELF THIS SEMESTER. These short weeks go by in a blink and there will be times of stress and I hope times of laughter and enjoyment and very little pain. I take this class seriously and hope that you do as well, but there’s some levity to be had in serious times and that’s the kind of environment I hope will be present in the class and this blog.

Let the blogging begin...

Greg