May 2009

Inspiration in My Inbox

Submitted by Alissa Jones on Fri, 05/29/2009 - 09:15
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Everyday, I come home excited to check my email, searching for the one titled "Today" in the subject line. I am welcomed with inspirational images from Eric Baker of Eric Baker Design Associates and Design Observer. Eric's "Today" series is a collection of images he has found on the web which he then emails to a large group of artists or posts to the Design Observer website. Sometimes there is an obvious theme, but most of the time they are random.

FLASH--TX Senate votes McLeroy out as Board Chair

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Thu, 05/28/2009 - 22:12
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This afternoon, the Texas Senate finally held its debate on McLeroy's nomination to chair the Texas Board of Education. Because a 2/3 majority is required, he lost on a 19-11 party line vote, amid much discussion about whether he was being punished for his faith or for being a divisive leader. Speculation about who the governor will appoint next to chair the board is rampant at the Texas Education Agency and the state Capitol...

Mother, Son, and iPhone

Submitted by Robin Brandenburg on Tue, 05/26/2009 - 12:04
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Two weeks ago I became the proud owner of an iPhone. While the primary reason for this purchase was business related, it quickly became useful for personal reasons. I am the mother of an adorable, gadget loving, and button pressing 2 year old little boy. He has an amazing ability to detect whenever he is in close proximity to the Star Trek-like transmitting device. I have read several articles warning that allowing preschoolers to play with iPhone apps takes time away from other more engaging learning experiences.

TX Board of Ed: Don't Take Quietness for Granted

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Fri, 05/22/2009 - 14:53
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Today's meeting of the Board of Education whipped along pretty smoothly and quietly, but don't let the calm deceive you: at least four significant issues came up that will impact everyone (publishers, etc.) bringing content before the Board...

TX Bd of Education & the Legislature

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Thu, 05/21/2009 - 12:48
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Today, the Texas State Board of Education meets to cover a host of issues, none of which are as controverisal as the recent science standards battles. (The room is 4/5 empty instead of standing-room only.) While nobody mentioned anything about Chairman Don's resurrected nomination, the Board started by examining the Legislative picture. To put it mildly, they're hopping mad...

Chairman Don Rises Again!

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Wed, 05/20/2009 - 20:52
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They say that late in a Texas Legislative session, odd things happen--pigs can fly, elephants can disappear, etc. Three hours ago, a similarly unlikely event occurred: at a hastily-convened committee meeting at Senator Mike Jackson's desk, Board of Ed Chairman Don McElroy's stalled nomination suddenly came back to life, sent to the Senate floor by a 4-2 party line vote. What is going on here?...

Design is Thinking Made Visual

Submitted by Marli Mesibov on Tue, 05/19/2009 - 15:43
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Alissa's post on print and web design got me thinking about all the details that go into design work. Design is one of the few areas that can function as both content and form. It conveys an idea to an audience, and also controls how that idea is portrayed. There's a reason "a picture's worth a thousand words," and I think this website does and excellent job of showcasing that reason.

Enjoy!

Finding a Routine and Staying Inspired

Submitted by on Thu, 05/14/2009 - 16:47
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“The pages are still blank, but there is a miraculous feeling of the words being there, written in invisible ink and clamoring to become visible.” -Vladimir Nabokov

Too Much Print...Not Enough Web?

Submitted by Alissa Jones on Tue, 05/12/2009 - 10:09
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This past Wednesday at the Windup Space, Guy Arceneaux and I gave presentations for Aquent's first roundtable discussion event. The evening was focused on a dilemma I think many print designers are finding. The print market is over saturated with designers, and the web market is in need for more designers. Based in print design, I have been transitioning more into web because of a need for my job and my own personal curiosity.

Fast Times at the TX Legislature for Ed. Bills

Submitted by Mark Grayson on Mon, 05/11/2009 - 12:22
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If it's May in Austin during an odd-numbered-year, you can bet that there's a whirlwind of bills and amendments hovering around the Texas Capitol as invisible but pesky as a cloud of allergy-inducing live-oak pollen. All of Texas' law-making and appropriations business needs to conclude before June 1st adjournment, for the Legislature will not return to session until January 2011 (barring unforeseen special sessions). More than two dozen bills affecting instructional materials and/or the hapless State Board of Education have been filed.