10. Conversations often begin with “Put the gun down, and then we can talk”.
9. The school principal has your number on speed-dial.
8. The cat is on Valium.
7. People have trouble understanding your kids, because they learned to speak through clenched teeth.
6. You are trying to get your four-year-old to switch to decaffeinated.
5. The number of jobs held down by family members exceeds the number of people in the family.
4. No one has time to wait for microwave TV dinners.
3. “Family meetings” are often mediated by law enforcement officials.
2. You have to check your kid’s day-timer to see if he can take out the trash.
1. Maxwell House gives you industrial rates.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Here's a Good Sign
The most important purpose of a sign is delivering a message. It takes a whole lot more than throwing a bunch of letters on a panel and hoping folks will see it. A completed sign is really a composition. Whether it’s any good or not depends on four critical factors: Balance, Rhythm, Oneness, and Harmony. For balance a good sign must be “pleasing” to the eye. It is the weight distribution that is considered first. It’s not necessarily done symmetrically; rather, a well-balanced sign composition is optically effective and has a stability of sorts in the arrangement of the copy in relation to each of the other elements. There is a lot which is involved in this judgment for the competent sign writer – the amount of copy, any illustrations or supporting images, letter styles, and certainly what the sign is supposed to do; advertise, sell, welcome, etc.
Also, how far will it the sign be viewed from and how fast will the viewer be traveling, if at all. When the customer brings the sign writer copy that looks like a newspaper ad and doesn’t allow any freedom for the professional to edit believing every word is essential there is often no hope for achieving a balance in the sign’s layout.
Rhythm is what many signs lack due the sign writer’s judgment in selecting too many letter styles in the same work. Aesthetically speaking, most signs look best when only one or two letter fonts are incorporated. Often modest variations of a font can be introduced to reduce rhythm interference when bringing impact and interest; however, too many styles of lettering on one sign visually distressing.
Oneness is when signs that have several groups of copy or messages and the viewer’s eye smoothly follows the flow of the message from the primary message on to the secondary and finally onto the most subordinate. It can be achieved, or at least enhanced, by dividing the three messages and creating emphasis using reverse panels, bolding and other emphasis techniques.
Harmony is nothing more that incorporating the first three elements with discipline – balance, rhythm and oneness. Without being sensitive to copy grouping, letter styles and things like coloring no layout will be achieved that has harmony. A prefect example of this is in the use of borders. Often borders on signs are completely unnecessary and only serve to distract the eye instead of supporting a certain style of letter. This is especially true when the border is excessively strong or of strong color. In the case of borderless signs, it is the flow of the graphics, shapes and lettering styles which provide the design and unity, balanced with uninterrupted harmony.
Often in my work with customers at Cedar Sign Company, a retailer of personalized welcome signs carved from red cedar, folks will deliver copy and design expectations which are a far cry from the proof we render for their approval. It’s been my experience that when folks let us exercise our sign writing expertise by interpreting balance, rhythm, unity and harmony with professionalism and style their welcome signs and family name plaques deliver attractive and effective composition.
Also, how far will it the sign be viewed from and how fast will the viewer be traveling, if at all. When the customer brings the sign writer copy that looks like a newspaper ad and doesn’t allow any freedom for the professional to edit believing every word is essential there is often no hope for achieving a balance in the sign’s layout.
Rhythm is what many signs lack due the sign writer’s judgment in selecting too many letter styles in the same work. Aesthetically speaking, most signs look best when only one or two letter fonts are incorporated. Often modest variations of a font can be introduced to reduce rhythm interference when bringing impact and interest; however, too many styles of lettering on one sign visually distressing.
Oneness is when signs that have several groups of copy or messages and the viewer’s eye smoothly follows the flow of the message from the primary message on to the secondary and finally onto the most subordinate. It can be achieved, or at least enhanced, by dividing the three messages and creating emphasis using reverse panels, bolding and other emphasis techniques.
Harmony is nothing more that incorporating the first three elements with discipline – balance, rhythm and oneness. Without being sensitive to copy grouping, letter styles and things like coloring no layout will be achieved that has harmony. A prefect example of this is in the use of borders. Often borders on signs are completely unnecessary and only serve to distract the eye instead of supporting a certain style of letter. This is especially true when the border is excessively strong or of strong color. In the case of borderless signs, it is the flow of the graphics, shapes and lettering styles which provide the design and unity, balanced with uninterrupted harmony.
Often in my work with customers at Cedar Sign Company, a retailer of personalized welcome signs carved from red cedar, folks will deliver copy and design expectations which are a far cry from the proof we render for their approval. It’s been my experience that when folks let us exercise our sign writing expertise by interpreting balance, rhythm, unity and harmony with professionalism and style their welcome signs and family name plaques deliver attractive and effective composition.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Out on the Porch
The sound of those words can shift my mood, shape my posture, awaken my memory and conjure images of rocking chairs. I can almost feel the cool breezes on warm afternoons. Simply thinking about the porch, on the house I grew up in, lowers my blood pressure
and reduces my stress. It was my place for reading, rocking, storytelling and sharing with family, neighbors and friends. It was a fort, a rocket ship, a safe harbor and sanctuary.
The porches of our lives hold fond and vivid memories for families. All of our greetings and partings of family and friends take place there. For most, the porch became the outdoor living room - a place to spend hours sitting and talking with family and friends. Folks didn’t
really used to think much about their porches – most people had them and used them. It was just there, open and social, an unincorporated part of the house that belonged to everyone and no one. It was the heart and soul of home where family and friends passed the time.
I would venture to say that more of life’s issues were resolved on the front porches of my childhood than in any other place. Today, televisions, computers, cell phones, air conditioners and privacy fences have usurped the porch for stairs and stoops. I mark the disappearance of the porch with the declining popularity of Halloween, the appearance of the ATM and our fascination with drive up windows. With so many things pulling us away, it may take some special effort to get back, “out on the porch”. We’ve become accustomed to watching the kids whack the waffle ball, chase the dog and celebrate birthdays – out on the deck. Don’t get me wrong it can be nice out there; but, in all these years I've not come to know my neighbors the way I did when I lived in the house with the big front porch. About the best we can muster is a wave when we are getting into our cars.
This is all quite contrary to the human spirit and my experience is folks find ways to balance the ledger. Which brings me to my point…does you porch say welcome? Do you have a cheerful porch? The front door gives a glimpse of the personality of a home and its owner. The entrance to the place you call home speaks volumes about who lives beyond the door. No matter how big or small your porch, it can call out a warm welcome to guests with a little creativity. Dress it up on holidays and get yourself one of those ubiquitous outdoor welcome signs that are hand carved into cedar and offer a friendly, Hello! Remember, it is your front porch, the place where you welcome others into your life.
I love Western Red Cedar and have been using this amazing and legendary medium for over 40 years in construction and my art of carving personalized outdoor welcome signs. Find us at http://www.cedarsign.com where we've been hand crafting personalized outdoor welcome signs since 1966!
and reduces my stress. It was my place for reading, rocking, storytelling and sharing with family, neighbors and friends. It was a fort, a rocket ship, a safe harbor and sanctuary.
The porches of our lives hold fond and vivid memories for families. All of our greetings and partings of family and friends take place there. For most, the porch became the outdoor living room - a place to spend hours sitting and talking with family and friends. Folks didn’t
really used to think much about their porches – most people had them and used them. It was just there, open and social, an unincorporated part of the house that belonged to everyone and no one. It was the heart and soul of home where family and friends passed the time.
I would venture to say that more of life’s issues were resolved on the front porches of my childhood than in any other place. Today, televisions, computers, cell phones, air conditioners and privacy fences have usurped the porch for stairs and stoops. I mark the disappearance of the porch with the declining popularity of Halloween, the appearance of the ATM and our fascination with drive up windows. With so many things pulling us away, it may take some special effort to get back, “out on the porch”. We’ve become accustomed to watching the kids whack the waffle ball, chase the dog and celebrate birthdays – out on the deck. Don’t get me wrong it can be nice out there; but, in all these years I've not come to know my neighbors the way I did when I lived in the house with the big front porch. About the best we can muster is a wave when we are getting into our cars.
This is all quite contrary to the human spirit and my experience is folks find ways to balance the ledger. Which brings me to my point…does you porch say welcome? Do you have a cheerful porch? The front door gives a glimpse of the personality of a home and its owner. The entrance to the place you call home speaks volumes about who lives beyond the door. No matter how big or small your porch, it can call out a warm welcome to guests with a little creativity. Dress it up on holidays and get yourself one of those ubiquitous outdoor welcome signs that are hand carved into cedar and offer a friendly, Hello! Remember, it is your front porch, the place where you welcome others into your life.
I love Western Red Cedar and have been using this amazing and legendary medium for over 40 years in construction and my art of carving personalized outdoor welcome signs. Find us at http://www.cedarsign.com where we've been hand crafting personalized outdoor welcome signs since 1966!
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