News from the East

Mom visited a museum exhibit about Princess Diana, in Philadelphia recently. Among the artifacts was a room full of condolence books from around the world. She was excited to report that one of them lay open to a condolence signed, "Love, Damon and Debbie". I had a hunch that, although there may well be plenty of "Damon and Debbie" couples in the world, it might possibly be related to the British soap opera characters of the same names.
I think it was pulling up the Wikipedia page for Damon and Debbie, that inspired me to google my name. I came up with this Chinese language article about the sign shop. I could recognize other names mentioned in the story, which indicated that this was either written by or copied from someone who had actually spoken to me about sign making. I used Google's convenient translation tool (which popped up alongside the search results), to generate this, entitled The Charm of the Traditional Identification:

Needless to say, technological advances have clearly identified the impact of the industry. CNC and building identification for the three-dimensional product applications, their efficiency is much higher than the manual - and also does not produce by hand occasionally arise. Similarly, the digital inkjet able to provide the bulk of the huge, high-quality, remarkable eyes, durable products, which should be much stronger than the hand-drawn. I ask, in addition to outside of Michelangelo, who persist in using the hand-painted giant poster? Moreover, where there are customers today, the patience to wait for you so long?
However, in practice to identify those who use hand-crafted artisan still have to survive. Some clients prefer hand-made logo is still there is demand. Thus maintaining a very small number of these depend on the identity of old-fashioned craft producers of their jobs.

Damon Styer used to be a trader, selling root carving art products. He began as an apprentice, and later bought the company in San Francisco New Bohemia Signs. Although he admitted that his hours of work, because he wanted to with the evolving industry to keep pace, Styer that painted logo will be his only effort.

Another way

Styer Arts Association in San Francisco to study, and in 1993 completed his studies of painting designs. In an ice cream shop after some time, he signed on as the Pacific Stock Exchange broker, and in this high stress job working for five years, after which he decided to seek another path. He spent several months traveling around the world, but to find his target, and then in 1999 entered the New Bohemia as an apprentice.

"At first, I thought of furniture manufacturers to become an apprentice, but they are not interested in people who have no experience." He said, "identification system calling me, because it is a comprehensive design and manufacturing process work."

Maurice O 'Carroll Church Styer draw and cut-off line, which for a variety of text are Yongde Zhe. He asked Styer arrive a day early, so that you can independently train their skills. Styer also learned the details of gilded glass - commonly used in storefront transom windows and decorative figures, now the New Bohemia has become an important business (in the cold weather months, this is the logo sale off-season, but this business allows them to still accounts during this period can be entered).

In late 1999, O 'Carroll left, and his boss to the company - three years ago moved to New Orleans, Steve Karbo and Yvette Rutledge recommended Styer manager position to replace him.Finally, Styer in the year in December bought the store.

Methods

Styer first designed a plane MDO logo. Sometimes, if the customer needs three-dimensional effect of posters, he would affix plastic Latin text. For most applications, he is using the text color or 1Shot ^® paint - he likes their color and not easily fade. In addition to bright yellow or red, external identification is usually easier to show the old results, but he has never met his own hand-work the issue fade or fall off.

In the design of the time, Styer square piece of paper draw a good first draft, get customer acceptance, he was the use of dots of paper (he is from the clothing suppliers come), and an electric machine to pattern transfer printing powder into a practical sample sizes above. Recently, Styer also to computer "compromise" - he started to accept digital files sent by clients, although he still using the old-fashioned way.

In order to enhance inspiration, Styer will usually refer to Steven Heller's art and design charts, as well as Clarence P. Hornung's Handbook - "Early Advertising Art," and they can refer to a large number of kinds of cases. Like many producers, like the traditional identity, Styer in love with the intricate details of the ideas and materials, which could be from the fruit crates, and cigarette art of all kinds of design inspiration.

There is a logo project is worth mentioning is the one near the North Beach restaurant. In order to create a distinctive Italian style, Styer reference to the Italian pasta packing boxes, olive oil pots and Italy, the style of bitter almond tanks to handle the entire labeling system, full of old village atmosphere. Outside of the logo, using the back of drawing glass logo, he uses 23K gold, mottled copper and man-made platinum, so colorful block logo appears, it will give customers a very strong visual impact.

Future

Styer frankly admitted that he first and foremost an artist, rather than businessmen. Fortunately, he recently hired a long-term partner Scott Thiessen to be responsible for the company's customer contact, business arrangements and integrated management, which makes Styer businesses have entered a new stage.

"Our workload increases a lot, I almost are neither design and production, not to mention the inspection and the installation program schedule." He said, "I already have a solid business on a regular basis to teach my apprentices. I I have tasted on the text and charts have all the knowledge imparted to them. "

Styer added: "The traditional way of making identity may eventually disappear, but I am glad some people are still learning it. Vinyl material, Printing machines, design software and CAS systems, and so a new logo making equipment and materials is already very popular , there is no doubt that these new things can produce the efficiency of faster, larger size, which is manually can not be compared. However, I still like to think of the humanities inspiration to go into the identity system, which is that the modern tool can not do. for me to maintain contact with this work is very important. Fortunately, I now have a very healthy customer base, they are very appreciative of this. "

Its dateline is only 2 1/2 months ago, and I don't remember speaking with any Chinese interviewers any time recently (or at all), so I'm guessing this was translated into Chinese from an English-language interview, which, I have to admit, still eludes my memory bank... it's not the ANP Quarterly article... I vaguely recall some British cat interviewing me, from an art school over there, or something. Maybe that was it. I dunno. I'll have to ask around.

I can't decide if my favorite part of this is simply reading aloud the re-translated text, or if it's selecting which of the emoticons at the bottom of the page best describes, "this article, when you see the feeling is". I guess I want to tell people about it, so that feeling might be close to "zhaoma". Or I guess "puzzled" would rank pretty high, although... y'know they're all really pretty spot-on, except "qianbian". I mean, I think I might feel that way a little bit... I just can't be sure.