This Place Cleans Up Well

BEFORE


AFTER



After lots of trial and error with vinyl products, we found the high performance grade that stuck best. And wow does it change the feeling of this facility.
More photos here: Hold The Cheese on Flickr

Next phase is finishing file prep for vinyl application and foam sign art for concept identification at several facilities.

The new school year brought with it a greater appreciation and respect for all things student services. Event graphics production was high intensity but this "event" is crazy. You never know what you'll be asked to make!

A long, short week and I'm ready for a Big Ten football weekend.
CM

When life gives you lemons...

...throw them at the salad that is peeling off the wall.



Short version of the story... giant plans to roll out beautiful new lettering in a dining facility and the specialized vinyl we chose didn't make friends with our paint. The entire order of logos and navigational lettering was ready to go, all cut and beautiful. And then, after the first application was done, the letters started to slowly wilt off the wall. Thank goodness we'd only had ONE of the many signs installed.

Quick optimism and brainstorming presented a handful of secondary solutions. We're nixing the super fancy brushed chrome effect in favor of a higher performance micro-shimmer metalic silver. Thinner vinyl = better adaptability and grip on satin finish paint. Hooray! This delays us about 2 weeks and we may not make it in time for the signs to be finished before students return to campus, but we they'll be done soon after!

Being resourceful, I salvaged the second half of "salad bar" before it was tossed. Perhaps it will surface in my new office or home mixology lab.

My brain is at ease knowing the folks who use Illustrator 9 produce quality products and think on their feet. Otherwise, I might consider the whole project an initial fail.

CM

Why are you still using old software?!

(Please pardon this hyper rant. I am usually much more constructive in my commentary. This just bugged the heck out of me and I wanted to sound off. -CM)

Why are you still using old software?!
Better yet, why are you making me adapt to your old software?

I'm working with a vendor on a job and they use Illustrator 9. I coughed when I heard that. When asked by they haven't upgraded, they said they hadn't needed to and most of their work is done in Corel (for printing?!! I daren't ask what version that is!) My frustration grew from the amount of labor I had to output to prep production ready art for their system.

Adobe Illustrator 9 is at least 9 years old. When I was a kid, the tooth fairy stopped making visits to pick up lost teeth when my age matched the number of teeth that I lost. Why can't we scream "STANDARDS" when software versions are as old as their release number (or earlier?)

Comparisons...
I work in CS4, released 2009.
They work in v.9, released 2000.

Mine currently costs $400 something.
Theirs currently costs $100 something.

Mine can accommodate theirs by downgrading files when I save them.
Theirs is helpless and cries when asked to open a v.10 file.

My system requirements:
* CPU: 2GHz or faster processor
* Operating System: Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 (Service Pack 3 recommended) or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (certified for 32-bit Windows XP and Windows Vista)
* System Memory: 512MB of RAM (1GB recommended)
* Storage: 2GB of available hard-disk space for installation; additional free space required during installation (cannot install on flash-based storage devices)
* Monitor: 1,024x768 display (1,280x800 recommended)
* Video Card: 16-bit video card
* Optical Drive: DVD-ROM drive
* QuickTime: Broadband Internet connection required for online services*
* Note: For updates to system requirements, visit: www.adobe.com/products/illustrator/systemreqs

Their system requirements:
* Pentium or faster processor
* Windows 98, 2000, or NT 4.0
* 64 MB RAM
* 105 MB hard drive space
* CD-ROM drive
* Video card that supports 800 x 600 or greater monitor resolution
* Adobe PostScript Level 2 or later (if using PostScript printer)

Price is not a justification for being ridiculously behind the times.

So, you ask, is it a problem for me to create separate art files for production and save them all back to Illustrator 9 .eps files? Nah. No problem. I LOVE doing that. You'll just rot in the shame of the technology age's advancement with every file you download from my FTP submission.

Hey, future vendor partners? Wanna buy a copy, require me to accomodate it and drive me up a wall? Like I'll do business with you if there are alternative sources of product. MY requirements... at least be in the CS generation of Adobe software with a legal copy! Respect the software companies and help them develop better solutions by paying them for their work.

In the mean time, visit Amazon.com for your fresh copy of Illustrator 9 and you can even have it gift wrapped.

Anyone else think I'm justified in my rant? Sound off in the comments of RT on Twitter. Hail Current Technology for Now!

CM

Rest in Peace, King of Pop

As I worked on my logos and mock ups yesterday at my desk, I streamed the Michael Jackson Memorial Celebration in a second window on my screen. Head phones on, I enjoyed the memories and the performances, remembering in my own way what his musical contributions have meant to me.

A performing arts nerd, I'd performed dance routines and marching band shows to Michael Jackson music. Imitating his famous moves, the best my fellow performers and I could do was nothing compared to what he was capable of.

The most touching moment in the service was when his only daughter, Paris-Michael Jackson, spoke at the end, sharing that she had the best father ever. Her difficulty speaking through tears and fighting the fear of speaking in front of a full Staples Center was very touching. I only hope that she doesn't remember that as a scarring event but rather a moving show of love and support of her father.


Photo Credit: AP PHOTO / GABRIEL BOUYS, POOL

That moment made me cry in my cubicle. Wow. Didn't see that coming as I editted text for a housing guide next to the CNN stream. As I did with the Inauguration, I enjoyed the Facebook collaboration and simul-chat, watching real people, strangers, react. Very moving.

Moon walk on, MJ.

Phase 1: Done!

Our first phase of rebranding is all done, minus a few file saves and pdf distributions.
Ove 15 marks developed for dining concepts, specific kinds of vending locations and an over arching logo for the department!

We're now working on cataloging everywhere we need to place marks. It's dizzyingly complicated. So many individual locations, I don't want to forget any. We have done multiple walk throughs of facilities, tape measure in tow, to plot out what goes where and at what scale.

When we finish applying new singage and identities, this will have been the biggest update the facilities have ever had as a unit. Great feedback already from those who are employed in the facilities! They love the new colors and they feel valued that their employer is investing in their workplace.

Cooperation, creative education and empowerment of my coworkers had gotten us to this point.
Next phase: Application of marks and execution of standards enforcement.

CM