Pre-trip questions

Expectations

I am expecting an eye-opening first trip to one of the most famous, interesting, historic, and important cities in the U.S. I hope to be able to get a sense of the speed, diversity, creativity, and “different-ness” that so many of the people I’ve spoken to about the trip have described New York as having. I also expect to see some amazing work at the firms and museums we will be visiting; and to put my new bag to good use!! (and maybe the weather gods will permit some snow as well...hopefully for only a few moments though)


Companies

Pentagram!!!!
Tiffany’s!!! Paula Scher! The Metreon. Their pretty website. Godiva (which I can’t eat). Their “approach” posted on the website. Package, environmental, book, identity, you name it, they’ve done it.

Carbone and Smolan!!!
The Alvar Aalto exhibit!! NY Botanical Garden. Merrill Lynch. Architectural Record. Again, they cover many different markets and are capable of working on many different types of projects.

Paper Magazine!!
I love the magazine. It’s unique, inexpensive, cool, and nicely done.


West Coast vs. East Coast Design

From my perspective the differences between west coast and east coast design lie in the development of each coast and the subsequent differences in their respective versions of American culture. The west coast has a rebellious (ie: “wild west”), comparably short, less specifically influenced, anyone-can-make-it, informal history, than New York city which has a much older, ordered history. The myth of the western United States as wild, open, and filled with rugged landscape also adds to the differences in culture of the two coasts. I think these factors contribute to the differences in culture we experience today and as design is very much in tune with culture, they influence each coast’s graphic design style. For me, design from the west coast is less structured, freer (from things like the grid, “rules,” styles), more vibrant, and is produced by a more varied group, some of whom are more likely to call themselves artists or cultural monitors or…what-have-you—people who are experimenting and inventing rather than fulfilling very specific roles. California also has the extremely strong influence of the entertainment industry and the speed at which business moves within that sector.

Laura B. / senior