Here's what you'll find in this edition of the Update:
I just love Keri Smith. She's an illustrator, writer and just plain creative person. I discovered her work years ago, and I like to stop by her Web site from time to time to juice up my creativity. On a recent visit, I noticed a new article she'd posted called "Exercise Your Mind." It's a selection of activities designed to push your creative boundaries. The next time you're feeling stuck, give one of them a try. And if you're going to be at the HOW Design Conference in May, check out Keri's general session, "Living Out Loud: Using Your Personality to Attract the Work You Really Want." I'll be in the front row.
--Megan Lane
HOWdesign.com Email Update Editor
A TROJAN HORSE FOR OS X
by Stephen Beale
One hidden benefit of the Mac's low market share is
that the machine makes a less-tempting target for
computer viruses and other human-made malignancies,
because like other software developers, virus writers
typically target the platform with the greatest number of
users (Microsoft Windows). But many Mac users have
lost that sense of security amid recent reports of the
first "Trojan Horse" that could potentially infect Mac
OS X systems.
At present, no one is in immediate danger of having
their systems infected, because the MP3Concept
Trojan Horse, as this one is dubbed, isn't "in the wild"--
it hasn't actually been set loose. Instead, as the name
implies, it's a "proof of concept." Someone wrote the
Trojan Horse to show that it could be done, and it was
then submitted to Apple Computer as well as three
companies that make antivirus software: Symantec
(Norton Antivirus), Network Associates (better known
by the brand name McAfee) and a smaller company
called Intego that specializes in Mac security software.
Intego sparked the reports when it announced that it
had identified the Trojan Horse, although there was
much confusion at first about the danger posed by the
code.
A Trojan Horse is one of three main categories of
computer malignancies. Unlike a virus or a worm, it
does not automatically replicate itself, but if it contains
malicious code, it can do plenty of damage to your
system. This one in particular is insidious, because it
hides within MP3 files--you launch the code when you
listen to the tune. It could theoretically be adapted to
hide within JPEG or GIF files as well. However,
because the Trojan Horse isn't in the wild, the danger
at present is theoretical.
Still, if you haven't done so already, it's a good idea to
get an antivirus program and--this is important--to
keep it updated with the latest virus definitions, which
you can download from the vendor's Web site
(http://www.symantec.com/mac,
http://www.networkassociates.com/us/products/mcafee/
antivirus/desktop/virex.htm, http://www.intego.com).
Neither Norton Antivirus nor McAfee's Virex have yet
been updated to block this Trojan Horse, but both are
working on it and should have a fix shortly. Apple also
said that it's evaluating the code with an eye toward
making OS X less vulnerable. Apple's .mac service
includes a free version of Virex.
Q&A: KERI SMITH, ILLUSTRATOR
An award-winning illustrator and author, Keri Smith has
developed a diverse client list in the editorial advertising,
design and publishing markets. Her clients include
Hallmark, Random House, American Girl, Wall Street
Journal, The New York Times and more.
http://www.kerismith.com
• What's your sure-fire cure for creative blocks?
A really long walk. As the walk begins, I am sometimes
stressfully contemplating what to do for a particular job
in which I felt pressured to do a "great" work of art. After
walking for about an hour, several ideas started to flow,
and with them comes the realization that work must
incorporate play, experimentation and sometimes the
unorthodox. It is creative death when we try only to get
the job done. We cannot attempt to do good work. It
must be allowed to flow slowly and evolve into itself
through the medium of our enjoyment. I remember
that the word inspiration means, "Drawing in of breath,
inhalation; divine influence; prompting; sudden happy
idea" (from The Concise Oxford Dictionary).
• How do you keep from getting burned out?
I try to reinvent myself every few years. Not necessarily
stylistically, but more in terms of what project I want to
attempt. I am now doing a lot more self-directed
projects (books, products), and I see myself continuing
to try new things. I have a short attention span. I have to
keep changing or I get bored.
• If you could spend the day with any person from history,
who would it be and why?
Corita Kent or Charles Eames. For a long time now, I
have been obsessed with the teaching methods of
these two people who consistently flew in the face of
convention. (Corita was a nun and a student of Eames
and adopted his teaching methods.) I believe them to
be true creatives in every sense of the word, always
seeing the world in a new and interesting way. I would
have given just about anything to take a class with either
of them.
5 HOT LINKS
ROBOTMANIA (www.caracolonline.com/robotmania)
Robotmania celebrates classic japanese tin toys from
the '50s and '60s with a retro-futuristic interface design.
The text is in Spanish, but the images are great for
anyone who loves robots. And who doesn't love robots?
f-for-flash (www.f-for-flash.com.hk/)
If you love Flash, this is the place for you. Hong Kong-
based designer Kit Man shares his Flash obsession
and skills in this portfolio site.
haikumedias (www.haikumedias.com)
Sneak a peak at some "out there" French Web design.
Font Fetish (www.p11.com/fontfetish)
If you get turned on by type, check out Font Fetish for
games and interactive freebies designed for graphic
designers who love typography.
Process Type Foundry (www.processtypefoundry.com)
Located in Saint Paul, MN, the Process Type Foundry is
an independent type-design studio specializing in the
production and distribution of original typefaces for
retail and custom use. Be sure to click on the link
"Charlie" to see the world's cutest dog.
BOOK WATCH
Build your design library with help from the HOW Bookstore.
The Designer's Guide to Astounding Photoshop Effects
By Steven Heller and Gail Anderson
No.: 32844
Price: $24.99
Nothing is what it seems … or is it?
This is the ultimate showcase of truly outstanding
Adobe Photoshop techniques. Authors Steven Heller
and Gail Anderson include profiles of the work of 12
influential artists who have developed their own
distinct voices in the fields of design and photo-
manipulation. Also included are many step-by-step
techniques, helpful tips and detailed case studies on
how they achieved these amazing Photoshop effects.
The book is an inspiration for designers using any
version of Photoshop.
Read more.
The Seven Essentials of Graphic Design
By Allison Goodman
No.: 31967
Price: $32.99
The Seven Essentials of Graphic Design details the
ins and outs of research, typography, contrast, layouts,
grid systems, identity design, and critique and analysis--
and then shows you how to use each effectively.
Understanding these design cornerstones will ensure
a final product that keeps your clients coming back for
more.
Read more.
--Product News--
The Chapman group, an Ontario-based manufacturer
of custom promotional packaging, recently announced
the completion of an Architectural Color System for
ICI Paints.
"ICI challenged us to develop a product to replace their
dated, cumbersome packaging with a new, compact,
strong, user-friendly, streamlined system, within budget,
to serve their customers' needs while promoting ICI's
image in the marketplace," says Woody Wachter,
Chapman VP-Sales & Marketing, based in Chicago.
Chapman utilized its patented Peterson process for
the outer box with a rounded top and a custom, self-
contained, color chip polyethylene container for the
inside tray. Graphics featured a 4-color litho entrapment,
blind debossed logo and 9-color logo silk-screened in
close register on automatic equipment.
This product will be featured at the HOW Conference in
exhibit-booth 510. You can see more examples of
Chapman's unique products in a Flash demo
or on their
Web site at http://www.chapman.ca.
--Industry News--
The AIGA/Minnesota Chapter launched an enhancement
to the chapter Web site at http://www.aigaminn.org,
featuring the selected entries for its 25th Annual Design
Show of Excellence recognizing excellence in graphic
design from AIGA members and the Midwest creative
community.
Created by Minneapolis-based Catalyst Studios, the
site highlights more than 70 design entries by category:
annual reports, books, brochures, campaigns/series,
direct mail, identity system, invitation/announcements,
logos/marks, miscellaneous, newsletters/publications,
packaging, posters and self-promotion. Each entry is
featured with an image, design credits and description
of the work.
The 2003 Design Show highlights the region's top work
submitted by creative professionals. From more than
450 entries, nearly 70 design entries were honored
including eight from Little & Co., seven from Werner
Design Werks, five from Charles S. Anderson Design
and four each from Carmichael Lynch Thorburn and
Target Corp.
The 16th International Brand Design Conference
"Pushing Beyond: Brand New, Brand Stories, & Brand
Myths"
June 2-4, 2004 in Vancouver, Canada
This conference will challenge the status quo to push
beyond preconceived notions of what brands are and
how design shapes these notions. Leading branding
luminaries from the fields of design, journalism, culture
and marketing will examine our concept of brands and
the roles we play in their creation, their rise to mythic or
monolithic proportion, or perhaps their demise.
Visit http://www.dmi.org/vancouver.
Call for Entries: The Big Event
Deadline: July 1, 2004
From CD covers, movie posters, art exhibit flyers,
sports memorabilia and movie titles to 3D promotions,
toys and athletic equipment--if someone designed it,
we want it. And we want the best. Print's new competition,
suitably titled The Big Event, will show graphics for
sports, entertainment and other diversions. Whatever
you do to make something more enticing, to get people
there, to get people informed--we want to see it.
To download an entry form, visit http://www.howdesign.com/competitions/print_bigevent04.pdf.
From the HOWdesign.com Job Bank
Position: Assistant Designer
Posted: 4/8/2004
Firm: HOW Magazine, Cincinnati
Contact: Debbie Carroll; careers@fwpubs.com
Web site: www.fwpublications.com
ASSISTANT DESIGNER
HOW magazine and Popular Woodworking magazine
are looking for a designer to handle a mix of design
and production work. The ideal candidate will be an
attentive learner with a creative spirit and a healthy
interest in magazine design. Chemistry will be key as
this designer will work closely with art directors and
editors of both magazines.
Responsibilities for HOW include designing and
producing columns, managing partial page ads, and
managing images (maintaining digital files, preparing
Web images, etc.).
Responsibilities for Popular Woodworking include
designing and producing three special-interest
publications per year and assisting the art director
with various production duties.
Requirements: Degree in design or equivalent
experience required. Strong layout skills a must.
Computer skills to include Photoshop, Illustrator, and
Quark or InDesign.
For more information on this job, or to search other job postings, check out the HOW Job Bank.
ADVERTISER SPECIAL OFFERS
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Ut porta leo in lectus. Sed congue. Proin dictum, magna non lobortis rhoncus, tortor velit scelerisque dolor, ac consectetuer ante odio vel dui. Vestibulum pharetra, odio sit amet lacinia tempus, lorem pede pellentesque elit, eu accumsan ipsum est dapibus odio. In purus massa, bibendum in, bibendum non, accumsan a, turpis. Cras adipiscing. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Praesent euismod. Curabitur ut augue non odio vestibulum porttitor. Maecenas sodales euismod tellus. Vivamus rutrum rhoncus mi. In et sapien. Morbi a quam. Integer sem. Curabitur id nisl.
Aliquam purus orci, hendrerit a, semper non, rutrum id, odio. Nulla accumsan aliquam tortor. Suspendisse venenatis commodo lacus. Phasellus arcu ipsum, euismod venenatis, dignissim quis, ultrices quis, massa. Etiam lobortis. Aliquam ut pede at leo molestie eleifend. Morbi at nisl. Fusce pharetra elit ac erat. Vestibulum est nunc, mollis vel, pretium sit amet, ullamcorper at, elit. Quisque vestibulum. Nulla facilisi. In ante elit, porttitor eu, nonummy porttitor, aliquam sit amet, metus. Morbi sed tortor sit amet nibh pulvinar dapibus.
Tell a Colleague.
Other designers are welcome to receive these updates; if you know of anyone else interested, tell him or her to visit
www.HOWdesign.com/newsletter.html
Sponsorship Opportunities.
If you'd like to sponsor this newsletter, email Elayne Recupero
recupero@earthlink.net
for more information.
You have received this email because you expressed interest in receiving updates about HOWdesign.com, HOW magazine and its related products by email.Thanks for your subscription!
You are currently subscribed as $subst('Recip.EmailAddr')
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to $subst('email.unsub')
To change the address we send messages to, click here: http://fwpubs.sparklist.com/cgi-bin/lyris.pl?enter=howmagazine
(YOU DO NOT NEED A PASSWORD, enter only your email address stated above.)
To receive the text-only version of the newsletter, unsubscribe using the directions above, then subscribe to the text-only list by sending a blank email to join-howdesign-text@fwpubs.sparklist.com.
Questions?
To ensure a timely response to your questions concerning magazine subscriptions or other general help, please see www.HOWdesign.com/contact_how.html.
Or send an email to HowEditorial@fwpubs.com.
Please only reply to this message with newsletter-specific questions.
