Goals For 2008
New year resolutions are stupid! They just are.
Goals are much better.
We don’t follow through with resolutions because they are too easy to break. Once we break our resolution, it is easy to stop completely.
But a goal is just something to strive for. If we mess up, we can still keep working towards our goal.
Plus a “resolution” just does not make sense. A resolution is finding a solution too a problem. A typical resolution is not a solution to the desired change, it is just a desire to change. Big difference.
Last year (February 1st to be exact) I stopped watching t.v. To make sure I would stop I cancelled DirecTV completely. That made it really easy to stop watching! And an easy solution to the desired change.
Honestly, it has been so nice without t.v. that I am looking forward to another year t.v. free! I suppose you could call that a resolution although I did not consider it to be one at the time.
This leads to the purpose of this entry. Goals for 2008. Not resolutions. Goals.
One of the benefits to not watching t.v. is the time that I have had to read. Last year I read 14 books. Not a huge accomplishment, but a start. So my first goal for 2008 is to double that number and read 28 books this year.
Here is a complete list of goals for 2008:
Read 28 books.
I am already off to a good start. And I have a full lineup of additional books on the shelf.
Buy used whenever possible.
It is easy. It is less expensive. The stuff is often higher quality. The stuff is full of character and personality. It supports the community. And it is fun!
Volunteer 6 times.
This might be a challenge but I already have a couple of opportunities lined up.
Eliminate use of bottled water (the disposable kind).
I always use plastic/glass cups at home. And I am already in the habit of using 32oz Nalgene bottle.
(Image by imranchaudhry via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.)
Extreme = Good, Day Twentyone : Conspicuous Consumption
Plastic Bags, 2007
60×72″
Depicts 60,000 plastic bags, the number used in the US every five seconds.
We are consumers. We consume so much that it is invisible to us. For example:
How do you visualize the number of plastic bags used in the US every five seconds. 60,000.
Or, the number plastic beverage bottles used in the US every five minutes? 2 million.
Or, the number of trees harvested in the US every month to make the paper for mail order catalogs? 8 million.
In this country we are often referred to as “consumers” first and “citizens” second.
Running The Numbers is a recent series by Chris Jordan. In this series he depicts America’s culture of consumption using detailed prints. Each image is compiled from thousands of smaller photographs.
So, how do we have the things that we need and want? Here are a couple of ideas:
Reduce packaging. Packaging materials account for a large volume of the trash we generate. So choose products that use little or no packaging at all. Even better, choose those that are made from recycled materials. Also, don’t take a bag if you do not need one. Do you really need a bag for that DVD that you just purchased?
Buy used. There are many good reasons to buy used products and thrift stores are a great place to start. Cost, lower prices can often be found. Recycling. More variety offer an excellent opportunity to find things that are no longer made. Thus, allowing you to be unique and have stuff that no one else has. This process also provides for many interesting stories. Both about the item itself and the place it was found. And, as an added plus this is a good opportunity to shop local and support your community. Did you know that a dollar spent at a locally owned business equals between $5.00 and $14.00 in value within the community. While 80% of every dollar spent at a nationally owned chain leaves town immediately.
(Images by Chris Jordan)
Extreme = Good, Day Twenty : Design For Democracy
This week the presidential primaries begin. And the general election is less than a year away. Recently there has been great debate over the legitimacy of some ballots due to their poor design.
So what role should design play? Clearly there is an issue with the design of the current ballots.
In 1998, AIGA started Design for Democracy as a strategic initiative to demonstrate the value of design. And how it can impact the democratic process. Ultimately the goal was to serve the public good.
On June 14, 2007, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) accepted AIGA Design for Democracy’s research report and best practice recommendations on ballot and polling place material design. Design for Democracy is now involved with state and local jurisdictions to update local regulations. To accomplish this, state and local jurisdictions are encouraged to contact local designers, selection officials, vendors and printers to apply these guidelines.
(Image by Dom Dada via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.)
Extreme = Good, Day Nineteen : Jewelboxing
Jewelboxing is an excellent alternative to standard CD and DVD packaging. Designed by designers, this professional grade system offers a very clean, modern look. Click here to view some samples of their packaging.
The Jewelboxing set comes with perforated inserts that work excellent in ink jet printers. In addition, they offer templates designed specifically with a designers software in mind. Check it out!
(Image by kfisto via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.)
Extreme = Good, Day Eighteen : Increase Your Blog’s Readability
This tip is for those of you who have just entered the blogosphere and for all of you experienced bloggers. This will completely change the way readers experience your blog. This simple yet effective element will increase readability as well as the overall appearance of your blog.
Pullquotes have been used in magazines for decades for a variety of reasons. They make it easier to scan for relevant content, allow the writer to emphasize important information, and they add a nice design element. So why not online and in blogs?
The simple way to accomplish this is by using divs.
Simply add the following to your stylesheet:
.pullquote_left
{ width: 200px; margin: 5px 15px 5px 0; font-size: 1.8em; text-align: center; float: left; }
.pullquote_right
{ width: 200px; margin: 5px 0 5px 15px; font-size: 1.8em; text-align: center; float: right; }
Now, wherever you want to include your pullquote, you would do the following within your blog post editor:
<div class="pullquote_right">
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
</div>
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit.
Nullam egestas, mauris id dignissim dignissim, leo augue
rutrum lacus, id condimentum nisl elit ut nisl. Pellentesque
habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada
fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla facilisi.
Once you publish your post, you’ll end up with this:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Nullam egestas, mauris id dignissim dignissim, leo augue rutrum lacus, id condimentum nisl elit ut nisl. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Nulla facilisi.
Extreme = Good, Day Seventeen : A Greener Apple
Sustainability is a very hot topic lately. As it should be. And this includes sustainable design. Product and packaging design to be more specific.
Without as doubt, Apple is the leader in innovative ideas. It is about time they pay attention to sustainability. And the environment.
We already know that Apple makes a damn near perfect computer. However, the design of their products and the packaging that they come in. While beautifully designed from a visual standpoint. Have been less than perfect for the environment.
With the goals of using less materials, decreasing packaging size, and increasing energy efficiency. Apple has made a conscious effort to make improvements to their design.
Back in 1998 Apple introduced the first iMac with the following specifications:
15″ monitor
18.3kg of product mass
3.7kg of packaging mass
35W of sleep power consumption
484g of lead
Today, in 2007 the iMac includes the following specifications:
20″ monitor
9.1kg of product mass
2.0kg of packaging mass
2.7W of sleep power consumption
.6g of lead
This is a small step in the right direction. It will be interesting to see what the future holds.
(Image by For Inspiration Only via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.)
Extreme = Good, Day Sixteen : School Of Rock
Just got back from the Wonder Ballroom. The kids from the School Of Rock put on quite a performance!
In fact, it was a perfect example of what kids are capable of if given the chance to do what they love. In this case… rock ‘n roll.
(Image by Rian Heim)
Extreme = Good, Day Fifteen : Sunshine Pantry
26 years of helping the community. Because it is the right thing to do.
Sharon Straus and her family have opened their home (and recently a small warehouse) to the community. They believe that no family should go without the basic necessities.
So they started the Sunshine Pantry. The plan is simple. Those who have, give. Those who need, receive.
All you need to do is show up. Give what you can. Or take what you need. No questions asked.
The design is simple. And it works!
(Image by Rian Heim)
Extreme = Good, Day Fourteen : Ride TriMet
Public transportation works. If it is designed to. And Portland has one that does. Portland’s mass transit system is run by TriMet. The fleet includes a bus system, MAX Light Rail, and the Portland Streetcar.
On paper this system looks good. But the true test is to actually use it for yourself. Now, I grew up riding TriMet and I continue to use it because it really does work.
Today, Alyssa and I decided to head to the city. As we typically do when in town, we ride TriMet from Beaverton to Portland.
We drove to the transit center down the street and got on the blue line to downtown and exited at Pioneer Square. From there we walked to lunch and some shopping. Then, walked over to make our usual visit to Powell’s Books. From there we took the 20 bus up Burnside to 23rd to continue our shopping. Then, it was back to Burnside to take the 20 bus over the hill to the Beaverton Transit Center. And a quick ride on the MAX to our final destination. We were able to avoid the drive to and from downtown. And, we did not need to pay for parking or hassle with driving from one destination to another.
This all made for a very enjoyable day of exploring the city. Usable public transportation is good.
In addition, Portland also boasts some of the cleanest air in the country. Clean air is also good.
(Image by Beaster725 via Flickr, used under a Creative Commons license.)
Extreme = Good, Day Thirteen : Holiday Giving
Tis’ the season. Of giving… right? Don’t get me wrong. I truly enjoy the thoughtful gifts that I received. I even played “Santa” this morning. I handed out gifts from under our tree. Yes. I tree that was cut down. For what purpose I am not really sure. Only to be thrown away a couple of weeks later. Makes sense… right?
Any ways. As nice as all of the gift giving was. The rest of the day was even better. We (the family) spent the day preparing a meal. For 90 men at a transition house called Transition Projects in Portland. We cooked, prepared, drove downtown and served dinner. To people that truly enjoyed a home cooked meal.
If you ask me, this is what the holidays are about. I am sure we will be back next year!
(Image by Alyssa Heim)
