“A procession is a participants' journey, while a parade is a performance with an audience.” ― Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking I have been very vocal of my love for a parade. The earliest memories that come to mind are from my hometown growing up in Oakland, NJ....
I think I am still coming to terms with this (quite wonderful might I add) transition in my life. The hours are bonkers, My body is sort of going through hell, but more importantly my mind is incredibly clear. And that last part, is for me, the most important. I can't...
Alien. I love to revisit this film from time to time, to oddly enough, give me a grounded perspective when my emotions get the best of me. The original, standalone epic almost pushed me into film-making at a very young age. The pacing, the soundtrack, each shot so immaculate. The...
History. It's truly amazing that the one subject I absolutely despised (besides physics), has become the one I am most fascinated with (along with physics). I love finding pieces. Snippets. Portions. Anecdotes and attempting within my mindscape to string them all together. The two characters in my head, Jake (my...
My life as a designer, has been, well, one I am pretty sure I wouldn't trade for anything. At every turn it's a unique problem. Every project I look to twist into something more. Each client and agency and shop, has been my academia. It's been a mental struggle because,...
We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations on your latest #UpForWhatever commercial featuring an unsuspecting patron partaking in a large, live-action Pac Man game. As a group who encourages adults to “play”, we cannot tell you how many times we have dabbled in trying to achieve this exact concept....
My current living/working relationship with this city has left me with somewhat tortured feedback in regards to the trials and tribulations of "Being Cincinnati." Many a HPPY HOUR™ has been spent dissecting the short-comings of a city, seemingly, with all the necessary pieces to co-exist with the elites like Chicago,...
I'm sorry. These are words I utter constantly as I stumble about each of her rooms. Five months in, and while I know "all teh things" we have accomplished so far have taken her light years ahead of the ruin she was, the road keep stretching in front of me...
4500 Square Feet. This is a number that will haunt me for some time. Little mine craft cubes of feet, trampling me behind my eyelids. If I include the basement, which I should and keep yelling at myself for not, we are talking an even 6000. It should be noted...
[wpvp_embed type=youtube video_code= eLA8K4bBG24 width=100% height=400] This post enhanced with 3-D Giacomovision I just, don't. It really is hard to process what my eyes are allowing into the realm of visual cortex. Honestly, I haven't felt this disturbed since my problem understanding basic algebra back in the 5th grade. THAT...
It's fucking cold. That's the first thought when the lightning struck. A bolt so loud and so close it made grandma half a bottle deep in Beam seam like a Shirley Temple musical. So that's how this is going to start eh? A monsoon in the desert? Christ. My head...
This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy. My childhood brain recoils back flashing images of a near naked Chevy Chase about to take the plunge for a moment of skinny dipping glory with the other-worldy gorgeous Christy Brinkly. I'm on a plane, purposefully headed to a desert. Where...
God I hated history in school. I'm sorry Mr. Albanese. You made the class awesome, and fun. But I was just absolutely not into it. There were flashes, moments if you will, where I was engaged. But i feel like all of those moments related to when Brooke Clair flipped...
Very recently, a true and blue Cincinnatian, upon finding out I am from Philly, asked that I try a Penn Station Philadelphia Cheesesteak. Now I have stepped down this path before. Every one seems to think that with ingredients so simple, cheese and steak, that they can slap them together...
I still recall the first time I visited this city, back in July of 1999. My friend took me to a hobby shop up in Mt. Lookout. I saw something cool, probably a 1:50 scale Millenium Falcon or something, and I asked how much it was. "Please?" asked the merchant....
Buses? We don't need no stinking buses. When looking at modern urban planning/growth/development/etc, we always look to history to see moments where things worked or didn't, because building on such a large scale costs millions, effects thousands, and more importantly generates the cities identity for decades to come. It's very...
When I was being woo-ed to this city, there was one major advantage (that still exists to this day) on your side. Cost of living. When I visited, there was absolutely nothing redeeming. It was almost as if the hosts that brought me here, weren't exactly trying to convince me...
It wasn’t really until grad school (of course), and applying the design process to different organizations, ideas, etc, that I really began to take a shining to politics. Because as it seems, in order to solve a problem, the biggest issue is not the funding or the solving…or the reality, it’s the politics involved. To make a difference in something you need to navigate many, many.. ideals, agendas, and preconceived notions for progress. We repeat our beliefs out loud, or in our own head so much so, that they become ingrained in our vocabulary. You’ll soon catch yourself unknowingly spewing your beliefs. No matter how morally, factually or culturally true they are. Etched into our atoms, I like to say. So campaigning nowadays takes on an interesting life.
As experience/interaction designers, we have to learn to throw out our personal beliefs in order to be able to observe without bias. Using this past Cincinnati Mayoral election as fodder for play, I am going to break down the entirety of the election process, make some educated assumptions, and ask some questions to see where things truly went wrong.
Let us start with the task itself. In the most basic of steps to “have your voice heard” you must do the following:
1. Be 18 years old
2. Get Registered
3. Find a Polling Location
4. Go to Polling Location
5. Have ID at the ready
6. Enter/walk up to/decipher your districts fun little voting machine
7. Have made a decision on whom to vote for
8. Submit votes
9. Go home and feel slightly more empowered than (typically) 70% of the populace
Now, it’s really the nuances here that determine the success rate of any of these given steps. Nuances and level of civic pride and/or involvement. Let’s start with step 1. Being 18 years old. I do recall my very first eligible election. My mom took me. I was overwhelmed. I was asked to fill out forms (with pens!) and it was in a gymnasium that was all squeaky and echoey. I remember the smell of moldy cloth as I walked up to the curtained booth, for the first time, without a parent at my side. Mom was in the booth next door. Within a minute or so the experienced pro next to me made the booths massive mechanical “clunk” sound signifying that her choices were made. I, stared blankly at a sheet realizing I successfully navigated all the way to #7 above, but had no idea what I aligned with. I remember my mom calling out asking if i was ok, and then me whispering back my dilemma, to which point she burst out in laughter, and I just began flipping switches.
Prepared or not, few still show up on game day mainly due to parental example. This trend has been observed heavily since the early 1950s. Keep in mind 18 year olds voting is a fairly new trend, only about 30 years old. For how loud the hipsterific millenials seem to scream mercy when the soap box falls near them, they rarely voice their opinion on the matter. Truth is, with only 49% of 18 year-olds actually registered to vote, very little put forth the effort to understand the candidates or their opinion (and one could say vice versa).
Step 2, the great clunker. Getting registered. Depending on the type of election, location, and about a million other factors, many don’t realize that they have to be registered, in advance (like 30 days ahead), to vote. Local governments use, interesting, tactics to remind people of this. Most notably people on the street with clipboards asking you if you are a registered voter. You know, that tactic that studies have shown immediately sends people into defensive mode, thereby closing their ear drums and sending their feet scurrying about like a countermeasure avoiding a missile. Now the other various ways involve, doing it online, at the primary, going to your local clerk/city hall/courthouse/post office, basically anything with an eagle on it, or attending a social event in support. Besides waiting for someone to knock on your door, these are pro-active methods. All viable if not annoying solutions to feed that amazing statistic that roughly only 70% of eligible people are registered, thereby allowed to vote.
Thus bringing us to election day. As if the steps prior aren’t annoying enough. Keep in mind, while the internet has sped up these steps considerably, a majority of the non-voters, i.e the other 70% or so, don’t use the internet as prevalently as you, currently reading this blog. So the ease in which you might consider these steps, is actually more of a physical exertion on many others. Now, to the polling locations. Imagine if you will, a city very much dependent on the car in order to get around. A city where people travel via 2 buses routes just to get some healthy food options. A city sprawled and disjointed by a severe lack of public transportation. Now, make them find (call, watch the news, internet, word of mouth) the district polling location, and then walk there in the rain. Go ahead, I’ll wait. In a society where even an automated phone system has been in play for nearly 26 years, never mind the internet, I find this absurd.
Ok, now once you get there, we kind of hold our breath. Let’s not even get into the irate crowds, bullying or random acts of incidence that can happen at a polling location. We could, but that honestly is a whole other article. No, let’s get into what many might think is a simple step 5. Having valid ID. A recent testimony by a PA statistician noted that of the 8 million voters in Pennsylvania, about half a million (a disproportionate number of them minorities) didn’t have a valid ID to vote. That’s another 6% off the top. So, to recap, you are 18, you have physically gone somewhere to register to vote, you have made the calls, internet queries or news watching to find your local polling location 30 days later, and in the interim have made a point of getting a valid ID which requires dealing with the ever delightful state of ______’s DMV. Still want to vote? Ok…
Let’s take a gander at your districts little fun box. Ever had that moment when you are driving your new car, it gets dark out, and you realize you have no fucking clue where the headlight switch is? Or how about that moment, when your 16 year old daughter out on her first date, keeps calling your new fangled phone that you can’t figure out how to answer? Or how about when your wife asks you to set the DVR to record something she will inevitably die if she doesn’t see it even though you hadn’t a clue that you even owned a DVR? Yes, I am talking about new-ness here, and the jarring sensation of it all. But that is what happens. When it comes to interaction design, you are bending peoples cognitive abilities. Influencing them, heavily, to understand the experience they are about to partake in, without (hopefully) instruction. Overstimulating this “cognitive load”, is very simple. See Windows 7 backlash. And the result is temporary confusion. Now add in the fact that there is no single device that is used across all wards to vote, tally, or maintain results. In this digital age, we still use very analog methods when it comes to voting. Something that is extremely counter intuitive to IxD, where the more you depend on a human for input, the greater the risk of failure. Regardless, it is well documented how badly designed these systems actually are, downright confusing even to a voter. Keep in mind this is a task not repeated often, and the system you may have used 2, 4 years ago, is likely changed even further. Many claim this is by design to prevent even the remotest form of tampering. I claim its just downright stupid, and a universal system/booth needs to be adapted and implemented showing realtime results. More on that later.
But all of this can be thwarted by the very next item on the list. Who do you pick? When it comes to voting day, the debating stops, and the word is typical. “Just get out and vote.” The assumption is that by now, you have heard all you need to hear and you are armed with the information necessary to make a clear decision. But truth is, a majority don’t. In the last mayoral election here in Cincinnati, the candidates voted 98% of the time exactly the same, with a disparity on 2 issues. Both are democrats. Neither are backed by their own party. Yes, this city had Jerry Springer for mayor once. Now I get it. Anyone that has heard me speak or attended my lectures knows my stance on modern media. You could probably get more factual information in a Stephen King novel. The perverting of social medias, and complete invasion of screens has melted whatever parts of gray matter in our brains that lend themselves to logical thought. Modern campaigns are so muddied and confusing that only key phrases and words ring true. We are being trained to skim over facts, and just take whole stories at headline value. FOR STREETCAR. AGAINST STREETCAR. No one asks why? Or to what end? People only see dollar signs and somehow they think it effects their life. When a library, school, fire department, etc was built down the street from you, did you notice more money being yanked out of your bank account? No. You didn’t. But you react to these issues because they are immediately followed up with things like, “Local schools cutting out football due to lack of budget” and immediately go to blame the biggest bill on the cit’s itinerary. There are apps and websites to help us make our decisions, like Elect Next, where after a few simple steps it can align you with candidates that share your values. Such items are great but you need to think of this ahead of time, and no, these tools will not “fill in details” like even an outsourced parking authority will generate $35 million in revenue annually for the city (See Philadelphia Parking Authority). All it will do is assign broad generalizations, unfortunately for the rest of use, we are dependent on you doing due diligence. Yet again, you need to be proactive here. Pretend you are shopping for a new fridge, do your homework cause you are going to be stuck with it for a bit (see again, this requires more effort than the 70% will allow).
But there always the chance that you forgot to submit your vote. While there are no hard numbers on this, it is still widely believed that somewhere between 0.1 and .3% of all votes fail to record due to user, machine or counter error. So yeah. There’s that.
Okay, there are many many things actually hindering down the voting process. But why, in Cincinnati’s case did it fail so miserably? When I polled a large swath of people the following day, the most common response was, “I didn’t know who to vote for so I chose not to.” Yup. The old S.A.T. trick, if you don’t know the answer, skip the question. See, this is where you need to shut off that defensive mode in your brain, the part that immediately said, “oh that’s bullshit, it’s a cop out.” Because I am here to tell you, that it’s not. If you are reading this (especially this far in), odds are you are heavily involved in your community, politically and otherwise. You want answers as to why this and that happened. Well, theres a couple ways to look at it. First and foremost do rule number one, and throw out your bias.
Now, you could do the numbers game, where at each step above you significantly reduce the amount of votes actual versus votes assumed. That is of course had the candidates done their jobs and gotten people to the polls. Historically, no candidate has put forth any real means of circumventing the above process. Technically, they can’t. That’s tampering. But no government seems eager to simplify this process to the point of Tweeting. I mean seriously. We can’t go door to door? We can’t have a mobile voting *chuckle* streetcar? In vast contrast to the presidential election (which has more money thrown about) I saw very little effort by any candidate to “stimulate the mob.” No, those useless yard signs don’t count. And I apologize, they aren’t useless, we all now know whose houses to egg on a consistent basis. We are a populace of the disillusioned, it shouldn’t take much to at the very least, antagonize …coax.. us into voting. The seemingly complicated process of voting may explain the rise in absentee ballots over the past few elections. By a lot actually. While still slightly analog, most of the process is completed online, requiring no socially awkward moments (feeding our modern introvertness), physically going to locations (other than a mailbox), and more time to research thoroughly.
More should be made of the vast amount of misinformation strewn about and passed, seemingly, amongst the twitterverse and other social realms. Cranley did nothing amazing to win this. He simply threw out chum to the sharks. Cranley’s numbers actually fell in line with most incumbents over the years. If anything I would place the blame on Qualls who, let’s be honest, let her supporters do a lion share of the talking for her. Ok, let me rephrase, her supporters always spoke louder than her, which placed her in the psychological position of “on the defensive.” The chatter, however, never really left the confines of downtown, where she was about as close to unanimous as you can get, but unfortunately isn’t enough to circumvent the decision making of the surrounding neighborhoods. Communities who, let’s face it, have been feeling extremely neglected since the resurgence of OTR. But it’s that face time, that door to door, that, lack of marketing “effort” that sank Qualls. I mean there are literally people out there that think they are personally paying for a streetcar that they will never use, and that their fireman neighbor is unemployed because of it. We played this game in kindergarten people, it’s called telephone. You actually changed the phrasing on purpose the further out you went. Remember? Qualls didn’t need voter turn out, she needed a better spinster. She should get whoever P.G. Sittentight is using, cause as far as I can tell he’s crushing it. A simple commercial showing your pearly-while smile, Benz driving couple, parking at the Banks, enjoying a ballgame and a laugh before hoping onto the streetcar to grab an overpriced hot dog at Senate then on a romantic walk through Washington Park enroute to a symphony performance is all that you’d need. Seriously, Rox, you have supporters that are filmmakers and would gladly do this for free.
However if it’s voter turn out that you seek, a large part of me says that you need to feed the lethargism of modern society. They want the 140 character voting process. The status update. The check in. The 6 second movie of the next 4 years of their life. We were trending that way even without smartphones. It’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality. With the reduced number of voters consisting of higher educated, proactive members of a community, my question is, are you prepared for the results of a system that can produce 90+%?
Let’s take a vote.
Since I was a wee smart ass lad, I’ve always been quite stellar at alienating myself. I must admit though, that at times when writing this, I was highly aware that what could come out here borders on career suicide. I know how the Internet works. I understand my little write-ups get a fair amount of traffic. But I would like to think that its all for the better. That perhaps it will inspire others, and myself, to be more proactive in the community that I have been in for the better part of nearly 17 years. Besides, it’s not every day you get to go all William Wallace and shout from the rooftops. So without further ado, my design week recap.
First off, I should commend AIGA, for yet again curating a very good series of events. This is one of the AIGA’s strengths, and I have found that the Cincy chapter can bring in incredible speakers compared to the likes of say, Philadelphia. To all others involved, CODE, Braintrust et al. I really did enjoy each and every one of the CDW events. They were powerful, inspiring, and left me wanting more. However, in that regard, I ask a simple question, “what exactly was Cincinnati about a majority of Cincinnati Design Week?”
Call me a traditionalist, but of the many Design Week functions I have attended in more major markets, it has always been about showcasing the city’s homegrown talent. Now, I know we have a crap ton of designers here. Like a lot. We have extremely large firms like Landor and LPK sucking up some of the best designers that graduate from the #3 design school in the nation, as the really good ones tend to go on to a. major markets or (more likely) b. do their own thing. And it’s really the b. part of that equation that I am wondering about. What are these things that the graduates of the #3 design school in the nation just behind MIT’s MEDIA LAB and PARSONS are doing? Exactly?
Cincinnati famously struggles with identity. Namely from its deign field. This is not unknown, I’ve attended many lectures/workshops/charettes about this. If you think of cities like high school cliques, you can envision a pretty good sense of who they are. NYC is the popular kid, Philly is the jock, Chicago is the most likely to succeed. LA is the stoners. And their designs says as such. Everyone wants a NY design. Philly designs have attitude. Chicago designs are smart. LA work is more socially conscious. Design with morality if you will. But what of Cincy? What do our professionals represent? The Design week events are chock full, CHOCK full of current design students, but current professionals are few and far between. At one event I sat with an Account Manager from Fifth Third Bank and plumber from Mason. Now, I’m not sure what the obsession plumbers have with design, as I actually have a similar plumber experience from a Tufte workshop I attended a ways back, but meeting another designer that was NOT a student during design week was few and far between. Trust me, I was trying. I need more friends, as using my Saturday nights to dictate write-ups for my own profession is not generally on my to-do list. But this has been a recurring theme in this town, and something I noticed immediately upon arrival, designers in this town (and I am at fault for this myself) just don’t seem to want to extend design past 5pm. I wasn’t aware you can “turn it off”, but if someone can point me to that switch I would greatly appreciate it.
So aside from the opening tour of various agencies about town (of which I wanted to attend, not host, but such is life), I heard neither hide nor hair from any of the “bigs”, nor any of the “littles”. Now, there could be a lot going on here. It’s very likely that the format of CDW is just not conducive to it. Meaning, nobody asked them. I understand there is a reputation that the AIGA needs to uphold, and its a good one, to bring in the best, brightest, most exciting designers on the market. And I respect the work of Drapin and Little Big things enough to support these engagements, because it’s important for them to spread their processes and messages. Especially here. Why? Cause the designers in this town think too much. If I had to dig, I would say that there is too much “strategy backed by research” before a thought is even put on paper as opposed to “design backed by common sense” with sketches and crayons galore.
But, hypothetically, let’s start with the bigs. Landor, LPK, Interbrand and Possible. Our hometown Pentagrams and RGA, respectively. Are they so immersed in the blasé of P&G world that they have nothing interesting or unique to engage us with? Doubtful. Landor gave us Lumenocity a while ago, a beautiful mixture of media. Expensive, yes. So is an encore in the cards? Maybe not. But CDW could have had a behind the scenes gallery show with snippets and small talks and a “meet the designers” wine fest. Cause lets be honest. Free food and drinks is the silent dog whistle for designers. Possible is home to some of the coolest, most absurd prototypes and gadgetry around, some of which can be played with at the Cincinnati Museum Center, so you are telling me they have nothing in the ole storage closet that we wouldn’t find vaguely interesting? Brandery, Cintrifuge, HIVE13, 3CDC. I could go on, but this city is teeming with groups and organizations that regularly throw events that the design crowd is incredibly hungry for, but not during CDW apparently.
Sometimes it’s just a meet and greet that is all thats needed. A small but exciting shop known as Peanut Butter & Jelly opened up recently in the new designer neighborhood of OTR. Now, they did recently also have a meet and greet, but another one could have been in order specifically for design week. I suppose your argument here is that we had the tour, but 10 minutes a location does not a vibe create. Sure you can shake some hands and look at the cool laser cut letters on the wall, but to really get to know a place, you need to let them dictate the rules. I guess all I am getting at is, just open it up a little. Let’s look at Design Philadelphia. (here he goes, talking about Philly again). Bare with me.
DesignPhiladelphia is still a curated event to some extent. It personally asks some local artists and designers to submit very specific proposals. However, for the other 51 weeks out of the year, submissions from companies large and small flood their inbox. They range from designer talks, to agency walkthroughs, to (AIGA) scavenger hunts to popup shows. For 10 days, Philadelphia celebrates all things design. Now, that city made a very political and decisive choice to focus on the arts a few years ago. DesignPhilly was fostered within the downtown scene of University of the Arts and has since grown into a organization that can support dozens of events, most of them free, over the 10 day period. And while there is heavy involvement from the local arts schools, namely to volunteer at these events, a majority of those attending are other industry professionals. Why? Probably ego. Philadelphian’s are a proud lot. They love their Eagles, Flyers and Phillies (order depending on seasonal success), and are out to prove they are better than NYC. The hundreds of events taking place might actually convince you of that notion, you can’t attend them all, making your decision making during this time clutch. Not to mention the economic impact of these 10 days alone to the city is enough to make their Office of the Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy blush. Yes, that’s a real office in city hall.
What’s truly beautiful about DesignPhilly is the public exposure, regular old muggles literally trip over random street events showcasing something or other in the vicinity of design. It gets the term “design” out there, as if it wasn’t enough already, and opens up possibility of cross pollination amongst industries. This year, an interesting headliner is GhostFood, where users will experience eating, without physically eating, to show the future possibility of species extinction. Impactful much?
Now, cut back to Cincinnati Design Week. Draplin? Inspiring. Bravado. Proud to be American. Little Big Things? Beautiful. Intelligent. Simple. Floyd Johnson (OAtW)? Most. Diverse. Event. in OTR. Ever. Jessica Ivins? Ok, I missed it cause the Reds were on. But she’s from Happy Cog, in Philly, so couldn’t have been all bad. There were beautiful touches that I wish could have been expanded on more, like the opening reception food experience. Frances of FEAST is doing some truly inspiring things, wether it be pork products or cheese spreads. I would sit in a workshop about this any day. Same with Please. The lunchtime workshops are things I have said should happen regularly (weird, it seems like I am responding to things involving food). I should look into that. All in all the events were, fine, just not exactly Cincinnati, or what I guess I should have expected from Cincinnati.
In my two years here, I have seen this city do some amazing things. Things other struggling metropolis’ would love to see. I know there is a strong desire to change the punchline of every joke from Cincinnati to, I dunno, Boise. (I would say Detroit, but I can’t hit a city when it’s down). I’ve seen a boom of great food (event idea!!). I’ve seen a urban neighborhood redesigned (another event idea!!). I saw George Fucking Takei host the world famous Cincinnati Fucking Pops (why that wasn’t sold out every night is a dod gamn shame). I’ve met amazing, tight knit bloggers and activists. I’ve experienced movies in alleyways, and drank beer with goats. I’ve felt both pride and heartache with your baseball team. I’ve taught in your design schools, and I’ve looked at your local resource problems. I’ve scoped out this wonderful canvas, and begged for someone, anyone to step up. I want you to win Cincy. I want you to win hard. I want your designers to go on tours, and sell merch, and be in the CAC’s and MoMAs of all the other cities. I want you to speak up. I want you to swagger. I want you to own the mid-midwest. I want you to prove me right. That not only can you produce culturally profound work, but that it can get outside of the city’s borders. And no, putting a “Made by Proctor Gamble” sticker on it doesn’t count. Let’s show our Millenials things outside of OTR and show everyone else cool events can happen in places besides Washington Park.
Hopefully, this is just the start, it all has to begin somewhere right? But I challenge the design community here to want more. To expect more. I grew up being told design in America begins in Cincinnati (yes, seriously). We have more better designers here than the rest of the dod gamn country, problem solved some of America’s biggest hurdles. Skyscrapers? No problem. Suspension bridges? Pssh give us a challenge. Prohibition? Oh we got this. Now is the time, Cincinnati, show the world.
11. Nothing. You thought it was a plug ‘n play thing didn’t you? Like that printer your wife got you last Christmas that prints all the photos directly from your outdated Casio point-and-click camera. See, while printing technology has advanced to the absurdity of automagical, 3D printers require a heck of a lot of knowledge to setup, run, and effectively create an object. If you have no knowledge of the 3D world, it’s programs, and multiple nuances, odds are this newfound printer will be as useful to you as a personal submarine is to someone in Idaho.
10. A mound of goo. Congratulations. You figured out how to make it actually do something. Unfortunately for you, that something is the modern day equivalent of a paper jam. On the bright side you could throw some paint on it, and give it to your dad for the age-old ashtray Fathers Day present, on the downside, all that material cost you upwards of $400.
9. The world’s most expensive desk puzzle. Trying to explain a 3D printer over family dinner falls onto the list of bad life decisions, not to mention the fact that even though you dropped a solid dime for this tin can, you haven’t had much success with it. So the next goto move would be to down a demo model that really shows off the intricate capabilities of your new, otherworldly gadget which in most cases is some annoying little puzzle game that will no-doubtedly adorn your desk for some time because you refuse to buy a Cosmojetz every time you walk into Design Within Reach.
8. Your super high-concept-social-media-driven-self-generating jewelry. Because of the high cost of materials, you have now decided jewelry is a good way to build some skills. Then, by pure accident you decide to throw some random math that pulls listings of #Sharknado into Grasshopper which translates it into a fractal mess that some hipster passing by happens to see and think was cool, offering you $10 for it. Suddenly, Ke$ha is all over Deadspin sporting your creation and you become the latest 15 minute 3D printing rage.
7. The (insert car/bike/chair here) of your dreams. I get it. You are an industrial designer, and for years technology hasn’t been able to keep up with your brilliance. This idea you’ve been struggling with in your head since college just isn’t ready for the world yet…or more correctly, the world isn’t ready for it. Forget material trial and error, what is this the 70s? Is my last name Eames? No. I want my idea out of my head now, or in the 16+ hours or so it will take the printer to make a 1/32 scale version of it.
6. Your own action figure. Since you fancy yourself a stud of a prototyping studio now, your buddy suggests during a craft beer infused happy hour that you purchase a 3D scanner. You do. And immediately upon arrival try to reproduce yourself, with action grip.
5. The Valentines/Birthday Anniversary present you forgot about. Since your significant other knows about your success with the 3D printer, (that is afterall how you met them, at the gallery show, of your latest piece of fractal wonder), you will have to produce something a bit more personal. Lucky for you, your recently purchased 3D scanner offers a wealth of possibility. See previous item for instance.
4. The knob/button/switch that broke off your retro television/radio/straticaster. Suddenly the honey-do list that pops up on occasion, most notably on Sundays during football season, seems a lot more manageable. The 1971 Zenith Cathode-Tubed Color TV in the basement that works and looks retro fabulous but has been missing the channel changing knob since you got angry during the ’86 Word Series Game 6? Fixed. The Atari 2400 in dire need of a power on/off toggle? Fixed. Even the gap in your 8 year-old child’s teeth begins to spawn options in your head.
3. A knife and spork. Once the new car smell of your printer wears off, and the tireless hours you are now spending in the studio begin to wear on you. What was once object d’art, is quickly becoming just objects, and much, much less art. Case in point. When you become overly immersed in a Core77 post, are about to dive head first into your lunch and sudden realize you left the silverware aaaaaaaaall the way back in the kitchen, somehow the fabrication of utensils is justified.
2. Another 3D printer. 3D Printers are so blasé. It’s time to move on. No longer does the sudden and rapid development of an object amuse you. In fact, it’s boring. If only 3D printers could just, do all the work themselves. Perhaps if a printer, printed another printer it would in some way become self aware and not need you at all. If only.
1. Anderson Davis. Clearly your thoughts have reverted back to pre-3D printing life
There are few days in your lifetime when you can get away with pretty much anything. Days without resolve, remorse or regret. Days to experiment. Days to be provocative. Days where you don't need to follow up the next day with a bunch of "my bad" phones calls and texts....
So, during my vacation I did a bunch of soul searching. When you hit your mid thirtysomethings you have a tendency to do this. Daily in fact. An entire laundry list of items fill this search, but generally coral around the existential, "why have I don't nothing with my life?"...
It’s a cheesy title. Trust me I know. But I can picture nothing more fitting than this, especially recently. The complete gamut of emotions I’ve been thrown through during this “vacation” has left me more exhausted and more eager to my future than anything I’ve every experienced. I know I know, if you’ve read any of my previous journal entries you are laughing at such a statement. But it’s true. I swear. See I had 15 vacation days I was super eager to use this year. But Sandy made sure I used a bunch early in January, and my mom having stage 2 cancer is making sure I use the rest. Which I am fine with. My “vacations” often entail me going to my Jersey shore home that I have known since 1981, and working in the shop. Not because I have to, mind you. Trust me. I’ve mastered the art of “letting go” and trust in the decision-making skills of a 16 year-old. No. Truth is I kind of enjoy it. It’s a hell of a lot easier than design work. And the results are immediate. To see a kid light up when you hand her/him a (insert bike/ice cream/surfboard here). It really doesn’t get much better than that.
But this year. This year it’s different. The storm that rolled in and out like a steamroller last year, left it’s footprint hard and fast in the air here. That’s truly the best way I can explain it. It’s like a presence, or a an invisible bruise. I tried not to venture into Holgate too much, as I didn’t want a reminder of what I saw only 6 months ago. But I didn’t need too. No amount of Stronger Than the Storm radio ads or hashtags could hide what I can feel. There’s just no people here. No energy. It’s actually fucking scary. I know I’m a small town kid that grew up in urban hustle and bustle, and I’ve spent a winter or two down here, and let me tell you, this is a ghost of a town right now. It feels like a Hollywood set, walking about. That if I just turned about the corner I would see the duct tape holding everything together. All the smiles and hi’s by the locals seem to be covering a fear and worry. A lot of businesses couldn’t handle coming back (mostly cause insurance screwed them in one form or another, don’t listen to the news, it’s wrong). The really strong businesses should be fine, they will take a hit but nothing compared to those who barely got it together.
I put my mom’s place in that category. Here’s a woman who put everyone ahead of herself during and well after Sandy, and just started on her renovations two months ago. The entire store, lost to damage. Electrical. Flooring. Subflooring. Plumbing. HVAC, oh and all the equipment and inventory. A reboot was needed. I ran the last one, in 2005. That was a little easier. I had about 6 months and I lived nearby. This time there was no time, no money, and no guarantee anyone would be coming back. Add on that my little sister now has to be shipped an hour away for schooling, and some pesky stage 2 cancer. Krakoooow. There’s lightning outside. When it rains it pours right? An optimal time for a flash storm. As I sit here writing this, pellets hit the roof as a reminder for me. This is what is was like, I did this for days on end and youu missed it. – Sandy. Bitch. Krakooooow.
So I came home for the 4th of July as usual. Instead of treading immediately to the beach, I tore open 14 brand new bicycles and began assembling. I cleared out the workshop, still full of sand, tossed parts, and tons of tools and stock now rendered completely useless. 14 more bikes were on the dockett the next day. Broken ice cream freezer. Broken Coke machines. New POS systems. New handicap ramps. It was chaos elegantly hidden under duct tape. Duct tape that my family did the best they could with in the time aloted. It’s brilliant, don’t get me wrong. I can’t believe it all came together. Well, that’s not true. I’m pretty sure mom could force World Peace to happen if she was so inclined. But thats what good moms do. They persevere through tremendous adversity, all while changing a diaper, scolding a teenager that burned down the garage while smoking and putting out their significant others clothes for the next day cause they can’t dress themselves. Moms balance the world. But I could se behind her eyes, she was done. Paper thin skin. A single mear negative and the water of Hoover Dam would come tumbling down. It was like walking on thin ice, in metal cleats, holding cement blocks and being forced to do a duet tap dance with Danny K. The cancer was taking it’s toll. Krakooow.
I’ve always had problems getting mom out of the store. It’s really not a complicated business. Yes. It has it’s moments. Like..reordering things..and I dunno, accounting for the correct amount of money in the register. You know, details. But its bikes and ice cream…40 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. But she worries. All of the employees are south of 18 years of age, so she worries. All the equipment could fail at the drop of a hat, so she worries. All the tourists are from NY or Philly and have their, quirks, so she worries. I was hoping when we adopted Alyssa that that would all change. But I think it’s gotten worse. I hope she takes her to the beach like she used to take me. And Mini golfing. And fishing. I hope Alyssa gets to see that side of her, not the worrying side. So I came on vacation to take away that worry, if only for 11 days, because that’s the only thing I know. She can focus on changing her lifestyle, getting her surgery, and being the amazing mom that I know she is. I can take care of the bikes and ice cream cause I’ve been doing that since I was 13. It’s simple to me. In fact it’s the only thing that’s a true constant in my life. It’s my therapy. Krakooom.
And it’s after that last strike, that things fall apart for me. On the day of the surgery, I fielded one too many calls asking question that I sort of knew the answers too, but didn’t want to talk about. I could do nothing but wait till I found a quiet spot, then scream until my throat hurt. I did all the stuff my mom normally does, open the store, sit there all day, order things, feed kid, walk dogs, wash things, clean house, field more calls, cook dinner, close store. Repeat. I am exhausted. And, now I feel like I am doing nothing with my life. I was asked, “Do I miss Cincinnati?” to which, I really have no response. Truthfully, I don’t know what I feel. I missed my hometown in Jersey. It feels good to be back and trying to help the community get back on it’s feet. I had the pleasure of hanging with the few friends who have had the most impact in my life, and oddly enough I have known them the shortest amount of time. Perhaps, that’s related. I don’t miss Philly. That much I know. Some people there yes, but overall, meh. Cincy though. I don’t know. I want to belong there. Something is telling me that that’s where I am supposed to be right now, but its hard to do when my family has been hit so hard this year. SO what to do?
I trudge on. In a mere 5 minutes I will hit post on this spewing of emotional meck, and go pack my bag to head back to Ohio tomorrow. Forever worried that someone, will do something to cut that paper thin skin my mom has right now, in turn ending up with a FOR SALE sign in the window. Why is that bad? I don’t know. I can’t tell you. The same feeling keeping me in Ohio right now is telling me that’s bad. Ok? Nope. I’ll return to Ohio and try to figure out why I am there. Why I don’t have a house yet, or my own business, or why I can’t fix my job, or why I am just flat out…flat. Regardless. The storm has subsided, and I can see the damage it’s left behind. And if you can see it, you can fix it.
As posted from LivingInCin There's an amazing thing that happens when one gets on stage. With house lights in your face, your heart racing at roughly 258 miles per hour, sweat beading up on your brow, I believe it is what some people would call a panic attack. I seem to...
As posted from LivingInCin Soft Launches. Love them or hate them, we all clamor about to be able to preach to the lands that we were the first to taste, see, smell be a part of something you have yet to experience. This, somehow makes us better than you, or...
So getting back up requires pushing up with all fours, curling your back, rising from your belly button, through your mid-section, spine straightening up through your sits bones, and sitting tall. How do I sit tall? I go back to my favorite pieces of personal work. Athletic Logos. I know, someday that these pieces will be replaced and forgotten, hopefully not in my lifetime, but I recall every minute of these projects and the learnings within. I created a mark, that inspires large amounts of people for ages to come. When they are long graduated they will still nuzzle up on a cold night with their well-tattered sweatpants blasting out as they revel in March Madness. Theres even part of me out there that wonders if a sorority woman is galavanting around with a tramp stamp of my mark. Odds? Low. Payoff? Priceless.
The system in creating an athletic logo are intense. It’s not just a logo, or a typeface. It’s home, away, alternate, practice, athlete and consumer, coaches. To be honest during my younger years as a designer, these projects taught me more about looking at a system holistically more so than any education I received elsewhere. LaSalle, I’ve always felt closure with. Located in Philadelphia, the Explorers are a fairly large div 1 team in the A10 conference. It has 64 marks in the system, and have been used to some extent sparringly. As my virgin, cherry popping athletic logo experience, it’s not bad. A simple 2 color guy that fits well with the other Philadelphia Big 5. My sophomore effort, in a chance to come clean, is my favorite, but still feel like its the one that I didn’t finish.
During my time at 160over90, I had the pleasure to work on many college accounts, but none will compare to the very first one, of Chestnut Hill College. A little campus-that-could women’s only educational space in the outskirts of Philly. well, once they opened up the doors for men, an athletic department explosion was very soon to follow, so work began on branding the Griffins. Having already put LaSalle to bed with ease, I felt more than confident CHC would be a breeze, and in all honesty, it was. But it’s not finished. To 160 it is. To the school it is. But the Griffin’s of whom I have a big heart for, I know it can be better. This was one of the last projects I had worked on before my leave. So the concepts were fairly polished, but I never had that complete system closure like I did with LaSalle, but when I get nostalgic and check in with my children to see how they have grown up, I get blown away.
See, LaSalle was extremely refined and had very tight rules. I had each mark worked out for the 4 colors it would ever appear. With CHC I had only worked out the major pieces, never locked up the system. And this tiny athletic program was left to use it at their leisure, but the thing is. I screwed up. Without thinking and just creating, I made a 4 color sleak and aggressive griffin that strikes fear in all of the other div II CACC teams. I mean seriously, in comparison it makes the other schools logos look like fingerpaintings. So in that sense its a win. I honed the “CH” tirelessly. It actually the best part of the system. It has an extremely layered sensibility and the piping around in gold and red was just…well, I love gold and red. Regardless, I had a “griffins” “chestnut hill” and a “g” and a “griffin” all made, but yeah, never quite tweaked them to completion. The whitespacing is off on all the typefaces. The griffin is too complex and has too many colors. The “g” is just flat out unusable. But that doesn’t stop this little college that could. And thats the inherent beauty. With no system, they manage to produce striking uniforms on what I am sure is a tight budget for this little-school-on-the-hill.
I never got to see my marks in action, so I live vicariously through the photos that pop up on the web site. Personally I did the Men’s goalie which has the CH on black. The women’s tennis unis are top notch, and seeing the “Griffins” on the men’s baseball is both proud and irksome as I know it can be better. I do love the group shots on center court though. Seeing the Grif in all his glory, ready to pounce, standing tall atop the “Slayer” inspired Chestnut Hill typeface, honestly makes me proud. And seeing how CHC continues to utilize each of these pieces in its ever growing program, damn near brings a tear to my eye, as they clearly show massive pride in what the marks represent, regardless of my screwups. Seeing them today, I was able to get on all fours, and rise again. You have reminded me how far I have come, and how much further I have to go. So, I bought the last CH red and gold hat you had, even though it won’t fit me, and I will cheer for you every day, because a cheer for you is a step forward for me. Keep Climbing and Fly Along.
As posted from LivingInCin There is a level of self surprising that I am starting to go through. If you would have approached me 2 years ago and said, "Giac, soon you will have more hobbies than you can count. More adventures than you can dream up. More miles explored....
The devastation that the Jersey shore has seen, will likely (hopefully) not be matched anytime soon. The Atlantic City boardwalk, made famous by Boardwalk Empire and a rather droll Steve Buscemi? Gone. The Seaside Heights boardwalk, made famous, unfortunately, by the likes of Snooki and Pauli D, where I have memories of my dad’s band playing the clubs during the summer, while I galavanted around throwing rings onto glass bottles, and darts at balloons. Gone. And as to the LBI boardwalk? Well that washed away in 1918, but one place, one chosen namesake that was to represent the feeling and memories of those others previously mentioned, stands strong. And it’s my mom’s shop, The Boardwalk, on LBI. So here’s to you mom, stand strong, save those lives, and get that shop ready for summer, you are the last boardwalk standing.
In Philly, well, there are good moments, but truth of the matter is, the city is defined to me perfectly by the : 2 cars and 8 bikes stolen, 1 random act of being punched in the face by a stranger and knowing police by their first name. [Editor’s Note: assume that is not a good thing]. But that’s Philly. As the bastard child of New York, it has an over aggressive chip on its shoulder. It wants to constantly prove how much better it is than the City of Boroughs. Where it plays out in intensity, is sports. No where in my life have I seen such a disgusting display of immoral frivality. During my time there, the Eagles were amazing, the Flyers were consistently awesome (that’s professional hockey for those not in the know), and the Phillies almost got dy-Nasty. Problem was, the people didn’t deserve it. Flat out. They were so ungrateful for the things they had. It played out like sheer greed, you give the kids cookies and they ask for milk. So when the Phils won the World Series, I was torn. My first thought was, “Fine. Finally these people can get it out of their system.” It was almost title town at the time, Eagles were doing well, heck even the Sixers were slated to win something. Maybe, just maybe this will fix this towns inherent problem with aggression. Nope. Gameday violence actually increased. Locals began to get outright feverish. It wasn’t good enough to win, now they felt like they deserved to just be given a title every year. Again, this isn’t the entire population, and I shouldn’t judge them like this, I know. I have a lot of friends that I was notably happy for, but the majority rules, and quite frankly, I think Philly is proud of their machismo.
Thus, bringing me to Cincy. Every time I tell people I “moved here on purpose” or that I “recently moved to Cincinnati” it is almost immediately followed up by a look of perplexion and a “Why?” and/or “On purpose?” Truth is, Cincy and its people have fully embraced me, not as its own, I think it enjoys having an “outside consultant” just strolling around making comments. But, the City Ashamed to be Proud of Itself, for whatever reason, found its stride. Not that the love of baseball has gone anywhere here. Not by any means. But as a perennial Mets fan, I can tell you, its VERY hard to dislike the Reds. The Reds, while I wasn’t here during the “cash the check years”, embodied everything I experienced growing up playing baseball. Who are the Reds? Egoless. Skilled. Humble. And now, Heartbroken. Again, the perfect definition of Cincy, and now I understand. You all deserved this World Series, so the world at large, or..at least the nation can see Cincy’s possibility.
The Reds broke my heart, after such a wonderful 5 month relationship (longest I’ve had here so far, might as well get that in before Zender makes the comment). As an adopted fan, I am angry with Rollens, second guessing Dusty, wondering when Votto will get his power back, but, something about waking up here, in Cincy, the City the Takes a Beating, I am ok with it, and have fully embraced your catchphrase. So without further ado, lift one to the Reds for a tremendous showing, and…
Just wait till next year.
They get especially annoying in visualizations. Info is, well, daunting. It crowds, it muddies, our own dyslexias misconstrue and confound. Which is why I often love to resort to the age old adage I learned while being toted around in a shopping cart. Let’s face it, there isn’t much to do being 2 feet tall, besides imagining you are in a crazy mobil prisoner, then to watch mom do a side by side comparison of the various nefarious fruits and vegetables I’ll be forced to consume for dinner later. Tomatos. Cantalopes, Lift, poke, color, size. Without the use of any words whatsoever, the fate of nature lies in the balance. Literally. Suddenly, mother become a human scale, left, right, left, right. It’s my own childhood Thunderdome. 2 fruit enter, 1 fruit leaves.
Of course, in the world of trending, this is pretty much the best weapon we have. Placing similar objects next to each other gives us all the insight we need to further a project. Things get REALLY interesting though, when you inadvertently start to apply this. I realized this while sitting in Taqueria Mercado watching the MLS game of the week. The game of the week, is often considered the best matchup that would bring high scoring and weekly ratings. But Euro Cup this isn’t. Having been watching Germany, Italy, England and the nauseating Spanish for the better part of a month, going back to MLS is almost laughable. Now, I love me some Donovan. I’m a huge fan of the Union. But the side-by-side comparison isn’t pretty. With all the talk of how far we’ve come, there’s much further to go.
Next up, cities. You’ve all heard my poetic love for Philadelphia. It’s all the good parts of NYC (culture, food, people) without all the bad parts (cost, size, …cost). Recently I had a chance to literally, go from the best Cincy has to offer (a tremendous weekend out and about with friends), to an evening back in Philly (also with friends), to a week back in Jersey. Ok, so you can all mark the date, cause I am going to have it written in documented form here. Like Cincy. I think it’s quite an interesting little city. It was growing on me in leaps and bounds, and dare I say the weekend I wish to reference actually had me thinking, I was back East, if only for a moment. Then, came Philly. One, not even that crazy night, meeting up with friends past, quickly reminded me how far Cincy has to go. In the 8 months I have been gone, so much has sprouted up. More people. More hotspots. More neighborhoods. The city is growing faster than the lawn of the abandoned house next to mine. The speed difference has always bothered me. The side-by-side really put it into perspective however. I don’t know if it’s more driven people, or just the sheer number of them, per square foot in each city that makes the difference.
I always joke and say its like hitting Command+S, grabbing the corner of NYC and scaling down. But, it’s different. The SbS reveals so much more. Density, color, height, weight, food, diversity, art. It’s not just scaled down, it’s flat out different. Over the next few weeks I am going to try to make apps to show these. Again these are just visual observations, made within hours of each other. It’s hard to capture feeling, but we’ll see what we can do.
*The opinions expressed in this blog post in no way reflect the opinions of the productions company of said blog. So hold the rotten vegetables, and keep the tarring for the winter months.
So this article from Cleveland.com has been all a flutter this weekend boasting that Cincinnati is the hip and trendy spot of Ohio. Understandable. I can’t argue this. Please people, keep in mind the baseline here is Cleveland. Now I don’t have any issues with the article itself, or the sense of pride it should give the residents. Actually, for the first time in a while, I am proud of y’all. This little moment of braggard-ness looks good on you. Flaunt it. But don’t get comfy.
Yes. You have all made leaps and bounds over the past decade, as I am constantly reminded. Your waterfront is actually quite beautiful, and can only get better. I have actually never seen such bustle and activity. It’s a different activity than that of NY’s seaports, and Philly can only dream of attaining a fraction of what you have accomplished here. All I am going to say, respectfully, is don’t settle.
Politics here are a bear. More so than any I’ve ever seen or experienced. I’ve heard many a fabulous idea get smothered, or cast aside with nothing more than a learning glare. But don’t settle. You are all fighting, that is what makes you great, not the new fancy bars or the new shiny object. Just do not settle. There’s more to be done. Being called “the best in Ohio” is a start. Don’t settle. There’s more to be done. So long as there are plywooded blocks and abandoned neighborhoods. There is work to be done. So long as there is no walkable food source. There is work to be done. So long as non-Ohioans, cringe when the word “Cincinnati” comes out of people’s mouth. There is work to be done. When someone can’t walk out of their house, at say, 10pm so grab an honest slice of pizza. There is work to be done. On the day that you can walk into a decent coffee house, that isn’t Starbucks, open your laptop and enjoy some artisan biscotti on a Saturday afternoon, not just in Northside…there is work to be done.
Now, I graciously admit that those simply add to the “trendiness” and there are larger problems at hand, but really, it’s the little things. It’s the little things that inspire greater things. You don’t need grand gestures. You don’t need massive redevelopment plans. Hell, you don’t need to even agree. But you do need, small, simple, little, things. Things like a cup of coffee, or a slice of pizza, or a smoothie, or a deli, or the drummer guy on the corner. Little things, begat bigger things. It’s the little things that give neighborhoods a “tone” or “personality.” That personally that resonates with us growing up as children, into the adults that we become. I am proud for you Cincy, and I too want to help. It’s downright inspiring. Now…how the hell does one get their hands on all this abandoned land?!?
Ok, as you were.
Honorable Mention #12: Elections. For the rest of the US, Ohio is the great decider. Forever the Magic 8-Ball of presidential elections, this wonderful little swing state has some amazing politics going on. Having grown up in a predominantly Democrat zone my entire life, we are basically at the mercy of whatever the Blues feel like supporting. Not that they have been all bad decisions, but being in an area whose politics COMPLETELY drives its growth, and even divides communities, is refreshingly complex.
11. Drinking. Bare with me. My East Coast patriots will naively say “Well what else is there to do?” But after stumbling onto some history, they should be thanking this little metropolis for some of its wares, in the not-what-you-are-thinking sense. While Philly can brag about being the city of firsts, especially beer (I’ll be addressing this in a project launching shortly), Cincy gave us wine. Yes, wine. I love that. So between the wine, the incoming Germans and their beer, and the ‘Merican bourbonizing, truly, Cin City is at the center of it all. So drink on that.
10. Opportunity. From Cleveland, to Columbus, to Dayton, to Cincinnati to hell, this whole state, there are PLENTY of moments for someone with an idea, a dream, a business, to step up and start something. And, unlike its east coast counterparts, is much cheaper to do so. I would actually encourage any east coasters struggling with a thought, to try it out here first. This was the prototype city for NYC afterall. They might have gotten the full size versions, but they wouldn’t have happened at all if not for Southern Ohios ingenuity. Could have avoided that whole cupcake trend entirely if it went through here first. Shame on y’all.
– which brings me to…
9. Support. People here want something new. They want to see success bred through opportunity. From what I can gather, the evolution of OTR has happened through the sheer will of it’s people. And that’s amazing. Optimism is surprisingly hard to come by unless you are part of these movements, but having been through a few myself, I can see it, and I believe in it. You should too.
8. Social Media. There will be a tipping point to all of these 147 characters or less shout outs. I actually setup 2 personas on various social networks just to view the “static” from 2 cities. Oddly enough, the streams from the larger city roll by too quickly to follow, while the streams from Ohio are digestable. Shocking right? I do think that there is some “congealing” that needs to happen here in order for more people to be “in the know” or to participate, but at least you aren’t missing anything.
7. Running. Man you people like your fitness. I thought I had an average ability to moderately run at least 3 miles in a fairly acceptable time. Of course, I trained in Philly, where geography is lacking. Translation: No hills. The sheer ease at which you all run from Hyde Park through Eden Park down to the Waterfront through OTR and back makes my heart want to explode just thinking about it. Flying Pig? Yeah…I need one.
6. Sustainability. I should probably define my idea of sustainability. Quite simply, it’s not buying new things, and refurbishing old ones. When we design things, and make things, you have to realize that there is a permanence to it. Doctors have hippa, designers should have one. We are denting the Earth at will, and without warrant. </rant> But there are no shortages of antique, reuse, and junkyards around here, and they haven’t been pillaged by Urban Outfitters yet. And don’t even get me started on the flea markets, where the art of haggling is still alive and well, but it’s not over $10 or $20, but rather $1 or $2. My recently refurbed Faux Eames Lounge thanks you.
5. Professional Baseball. Does this really need explaining? I’ll note the differences anyways. $7 tickets on gameday. Accessible stadium. Amazing fans. The color red. Even if we go the Cleveland route, the Indians are the subject of the greatest sports movie ever made, and have a logo that is always smiling, just like the people in the stands, win or lose. Take a lesson, Philly.
4. College Sports. See previous NCAA Elite Eight. Fin.
3. Waterfronts. Many cities struggle with this. They go under developed, polluted, secluded. It’s ironic that these veins of water that once established our cities throughout the US have become so mistreated. We have always been a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately society, but it’s time to void that line of thinking. Waterfronts are to be celebrated. No where has this movement been so inspiring as in downtown Cincinnati, were what seems to be a decades worth of effort is finally coming to fruition. You rock out those LEDs, Cincy, we’ll figure out the rest.
2. Design. I need some statistics on this, but I feel like there are more designers per capita here than anywhere I’ve ever been. Industrial. Strategic. Graphic. And what’s more important, all those feel good thoughts you may have had in college like ”I want to make a difference” or “I want to change the world” is possible here with companies like P&G pumping out products that actually have an impact. Now, here’s the trick, how do we get these said designers up and at em? If anything the design community here seems a bit secluded. There are pockets, but those pockets don’t seem genuinely energized, and their attempts are muted well below what other cities have accomplished. Granted NY is NY, but Philly took an actual stance and vowed to have design drive many of its agendas. They even went and created an Office for the Creative Economy of the city. Again, I love the designers here, I just want them to do something. Myself included.
1. People. There is something truly different about the people here. People smile. Strangers say hello, people say “please” a lot more often. I like to call it moral adjustment. In my last post I said that Egos don’t work here, in a comment someone said that they don’t work anywhere, and while I agree with that sentiment, it’s just not how some cities operate. Egos drive the day-to-day in a lot of cities. They make up the stereotype that the rest of the world thinks of them as. NYers, are NYers. I say that knowing full well that whomever is reading this realizes the size that ego must have to be a “NYer.” Philly has a jaded ego, forever being the little bitch of NY I suppose, but there is definitely a certain swagger than Philadelphians have. It’s witty, it’s fiery, it’s smart, it is by no means classy, nor do they expect outsiders to think of them as such. Ohioans, are just different. You display an intense amount of humility. You don’t brag, (college sports aside). Prideful, but not arrogant (again, college alums aside). As a populace, hands down some of the nicest folk I have had the pleasure of meeting. You move at your pace, not the rest of the worlds. You live life. You don’t live for work, but you do work for a living. And most importantly you listen before reacting.
Accepting of total strangers, and always looking to comfort them, I would say that Ohio is the pillow to the U.S. bed. At times you need to shape it and mold it to get comfortable, but once you lay your head down, she will take care of you.
10. BYOBs. Not sure why, actually, since every store from the local CVS to the gas station on the corner sells alcohol. But that little acronym just flat out doesn’t fly around here.
9. Late Night Bites. Your choices? Taco Hell, some random chili diner, or Kentucky. Either way, your next day is not going to go very well.
8. Casual Biking. Hills, hills..distance and more hills, prevent the casual bicycler from say, taking a leisurely ride along the Ohio…in most instances. But, if you are super hardcore, or enjoy impressing people with your knowledge of Lance Armstrong outfits, you will do well here.
7. East Coast League Nights. Granted, I am the new kid at school, but for the first time in my life, I am not exactly making friends at bowling. The sheer focus, and Ivan Drago mentality that most bowlers display on the lanes reminds me of the times I would get yelled at at the Blackjack table for hitting when the dealer is showing under a 7. Either way, one of these days I’ll cut the damn Russian and at least earn his respect.
6. Egos. Technically, these shouldn’t work anywhere. But don’t try to bring a Jersey Shore, Long Island, Boston, East Coast, Philly, anything to the party. You won’t clash with anyone here, you will just stand out…a lot. They serve humble pie out here, and it tastes good.
5. Fake Southern Accents. Much like a Fake British Accent, the real McCoys know when you are mocking them with a non-authentic drawl, and administer punishment accordingly.
4. Subarus. Actually, this might extend to many overseas car types, but when trying to work on, find parts for, or general maintenance on said vehicle, the best response I’ve had to date was, “Subaru? Who makes that GM?.” So one must take to obsessive online forum stalking to get the job done.
3. Vegetarian Selections. It’s not that there aren’t any, but Ohio certainly doesn’t offer making the option to switch as easy as some coastline city counterparts. Yes it requires a bit more home cooking, but on the flip side there are many local organic farm options.
2. Roast Pork Sammy’s and Pizza. Having been in the city of Porkopolis for a good many months now, I am appalled that this isn’t the staple food item on every corner. Hell I’ll take A food item on A corner. The pork of choice is either Barbecued, Smoked, or Weinerized. The “pizza” of choice is well….not.
1. Online dating. Most people out here found their very normal, very one and only in high school, leaving the rest of us damaged folk in the virtual world. Any interaction with said world leaves you more damaged than when you first entered. So, thanks for that.
Eventually I will post up 11 things that do work in Ohio, as soon as I find 11 things.
What’s truly still missing is the food. Long in my past are the pizzerias on every corner, ample neighborhood selections on BYOBs and the “goto” spots. Gastropubs are few and far between, and the all-nighter barely exists. There is that “gem” of a spot in Joe’s in downtown Cincy, and Anchor Grill in God-only-knows Kentucky, but truthfully, food is scarce. Once you find it though, broadcast it. The small places that do great things need to be on everyones list. Whether that’s the quesidilla girl at Japps, the deep fried sushi roll at Mr. Sushi, or the Terry’s Burger (which by far and away destroys anything I’ve eaten..anywhere, sorry Philly), we need this culinary excellence to spread, and push out the only other options of Taco Hell, and …Skyline.
As to the work ethic, it’s 9-5. Solid. It’s weird actually. I work, cause well, I still don’t had much to do out here. Shortly I’ll be posting about the boat building that will take over my summer, but as for anything else…meh. Which is a brilliant segway(ridden all over the city) in the people.
Midwesterners. I’ve know one. ..or two in my life time. honestly, the kindest people I’ve ever met. Eager to help, always with a smile. Very “golly gee” whenever their teams don’t do well. Except for Wildcat fans..they are kind of more obnoxious than Yankee fans, but hey they are reaping perfection sooooo… But they also keep to themselves. Most seem to have their mates and 2.5 kids and houses with white picket fences. So meeting people, just like finding good food, is a bit of a struggle. Ironic really. As an interaction designer I find myself better at observation and shadowing. Which, if you actually do this in public can come off as creepy and anti-social. So to be social you have to try pretty much every form of it. Bowling, super competitive out here. Boating, working on it. Biking, i live on top of a mountain. Beer drinking, for the young ins. Online, untrustworthy. Kentucky, seriously? Other options? Columbus..Dayton….eh, right. So yeah, working on it. I definitely amy not as pessimistic as I once was, but, it’s still a struggle.
So for now, I will focus on, the boat project, teaching at UC, and prepping for a few marathons…details all soon enough.
