PC Rant

So, I’m still trying to figure out what I can do to promote my blog. I had a couple of ideas, but they all involved way too much work and I don’t have time for that unfortunately. So here’s what we’re going to do.

Let’s try a little trivia game. I will post five questions/quotes/facts about a group of creative people. You will have to guess who the questions is about and why the five people are related.  Example:

1. ”Eat the delicious apple.”

2. “Now, Apple, Shift, Q.”

3. “In this case, “its” neeeds an apostrophe. You owe me a quarter.”

4. “It’s all about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.”

5. “Honey, trust!”

If you were the first person to answer Sylvia, Matt, Mimi, Peter, Rogue and that they are all PC instructors you would win! What you’d win, I haven’t worked out yet, but it’s something really cool like honorable mention on my blog and a really cool thank you email. Maybe some candy? By the time I have my first winner I will know the details, how about that.

Okay, here’s the real trivia question for this week.

1.  “Lights. Camera, Action. Hollywood.”

2.  “What? You getting mad? What you mad? Can’t handle that.”

3.  “I love you so much, yearning for your touch.”

4.  “Just this one thing you do.”

5.  “Checking how my nails and hair look.”

Remember I need the specific names (first names do apply) and  how the five folk are related. Good luck!

P.S.  Tracie, can you show me sometime how I would post this survey in my toolbar on my page like you did that one time, remember?

Sexy?! We Don’t Need No Stinking Sexy!!!

PC Rant #1 (It’s a two-fer today unlike last Thursday when there was just one and I labled it… one.)

Auto Branding is absolute hell. I’m not sure why I thought that after taking two brand classes that I could surely kick ass in my third class. I mean, cars, how hard can that be? They go fast, they get you from point A to point B. Some say “I’m sexy.” Others say I’m cool. And still, others say “I have a wife and 2.3 children.” Give me either one of those brand essenses and I could totally kick ass.

But, then there’s “modest badass.” I thought I knew what it meant, but apparently I have no freaking clue. My group and I were thrilled when our entire class went “ooooooh” after our initially unveiling. Now, the “oooohs” have turned into questing looks, criticism, and a general boredom with everything we’ve rolled out thus far.

Last class, (strike 3, I like to call it) our wise instructor dropped this on us, “You know I’m missing the sexy. Your stuff is not sexy enough.” Well, duh! That’s what we’re missing! I mean nothing says modest like smoking hot hotties pushing Audi R8s (oh, we’re doing Audi by the way). In fact, why should they even be driving? Why don’t we just put them in skimpy clothing and just have them lay on the hood. Yeah, that’s totally modest badass.

So yeah, needless to say I’ve lost some of my interest in this project and I have to say that it’s been kind of a brand class trend. I start off with a idea I’m passionate about and then it goes left and I totally lose interest. Maybe I’m just being stubborn and I need to get over it, but still it frustrating.

PC Rant #2

Sometimes I hate being a writer going to a design school. I really like my In Design class, but I have a nagging feeling that our teacher treats writers and designers in the class differently. It’s kind of preferential treatment; totally not a bad thing per se. His criticism (well, that he gives to me in particular, because I can’t speak for anyone else) is just a little on the light side, like he’s saying, “Well, that’s okay for a writer.” Well, damn it! Either it’s okay or it’s crap. I know I don’t have the skill sets of a designer, but isn’t the point of a design class to teach me those skill sets so that I CAN create stellar work? Don’t just pat me on the head and give me a treat because you think I can’t do any better. I can. Just give me the opportunity to show you.

Slow Go On The Logos

PC Rant #1: Belfi’s In-Design Class/Project

I actually like taking this class mainly because I’m  learning cool stuff like the Adobe Design Suite and simple things like Apple shortcut keys and file and email organization that will make my life easier.

The final deliverables for the class are a capital campaign brochure and a re-designed, or in some cases, a designed logo for a non-profit organization. I’ve chosen to go with a non-profit that I used for an ads concepting class last quarter. It’s call Someone Cares of Atlanta, an HIV/AIDS outreach/support/education organization that serves the African American and Latino MSM population of Atlanta.

Status:

So far, so good. For a writer with a miniscule drop of design experience, I am proud to say that I’m holding my own.  The first round of logo roughs has been submitted and the response has been favorable. There’s even a ”hero” emerging. Somewhere Sylvia is smiling.

Problem:

I’ve been tasked to come up with 10 new ideas for a logo and unfortunately I was stretching to meet the first  50. I’m afraid I’ve run out of ideas or symbols that I can draw from to explain what this organization is and does. Here’s what I’ve used thus far:

ribbon, abstract people connected, the initials of the organization, a hand, abstract people helping each other, supporting each other, faces, realistic man/men, and open doors.

Solicitation: 

Can anyone suggest any other stylistic elements or ideas I can manipulate to explain outreach, education, support, and/or HIV/AIDS?