A little over a month ago some of my friends and I traveled to New York City for the day on an art trip. We visited the Museum of Modern Art where we saw Lucian Freud and the other exhibit. Finally, had the change to see the Helvetica exhibit and pretty successfully explained to some of my friends what was so awesome about the font. They seemed to get it an pointed out signs that were in Helvetica the rest of the day. Furthermore, I found some books in the store at the museum that were published by HOW Books, the same people that are publishing my book. Several pictures from the trip are below.
The most recent book that I have acquired is Paul Rand, Conversations with Students from Princeton Architectural Press. I first got my hands on the book in the Museum of Modern Art’s Book Store in New York City and then received it as a gift latter on. The book provides some amazing insight, thoughts and ideas on design through two conversations that Paul Rand had with his students. There are also six personal stories from his students that show the true character of one of the most well know graphic designers in history. You can read one of the stories from Jessica Helfand at an article on Design Observer.
The book is designed beautifully with large quotes and one color photographs. While the book is considered short and small at eighty pages it is well worth it for the brilliant insight to the life and thoughts of Paul Rand.
There is always the factors of gas prices and pollution. And then there is the wide spread knowledge that we need to find alternative fuels and stop polluting the planet. But by becoming environmentally friendly we can lower the unemployment rate, become more efficient and productive, we can invest in new technologies, and oil prices can be changed. Moving forward, these will all prove to, and have already proved, to have a positive impact on this nations economy.
An short excerpt from a research paper for the Advanced Placement Economics class.
Wanted to take a minute and share this animation about the story of Adi Dassler who was the pioneer of Adidas. The video has also been featured on my other online publication called Videos for Creatives. This is a frequent showcase of videos from the online creative community.
Yesterday morning in my Flickr stream of photos from contacts this new service appeared that allows you to create online mixtapes.
It is called Muxtape and it’s simply designed and works great!
A new way to share, discover, and listen to hand-picked music online. Starting right now you can create a muxtape and upload up to twelve songs curated by you (instead of a cold computer algorithm), then share it in a simple, elegant player.
These typography blocks seem pretty amazing and can act as some nice decoration for your work or living space. You can even start teaching you children about typography at an early age. They are hand painted and produced by Post Typography.
Today at school I gave a speech to the entire student body on my belief that creativity can solve anything. It is part of a program where every senior has to prepare and deliver a speech on anything they want. The following is an excerpt of my speech which was very well received.
We constantly hear about wars, the environment, and the economy among other things.
There never seems to be any good news to spread these days.
However, there is hope and people all around the world are coming together to make effective changes. People are coming together and using their creativity to solve our global and local problems.
It is my belief that creativity can solve anything.
This type of creativity isn’t about working on a painting or designing a poster, but is about how people are thinking and developing new concepts to solve problems. By using the creative process we can then form better solutions.
It is my belief that if and when we bring creative thinking into the government and organizations that play both major and minor roles in the world, we as a society will be better off. We need a culture of innovation.
We are collaborating and connecting online to share our creativity.
We are applying our creativity to new business concepts that benefit other people.
We are making plans for the future based on creative thinking.
My wish is that people, governments and organizations start bringing creativity into it all.
Just wanted to take a minute and wish everybody a Happy Easter. Hope everybody is doing well and got a day of relaxation. My two week break from school ended today but its not that bad, plus I got lots of candy.
Wolff Olins has introduced a brilliant new project. It is a model for the brand of the future called Brand Next. They are introducing this concept through a show entitled The Store for Tomorrow.
Taking an aspect of the Brand Next thinking, The Store for Tomorrow explores the idea of brands as platforms for action, helping people do more and do better.
Held in London and New York, the show highlights ten platform brands that invite people to take part, to give as well as get. And the more people who join in, the better it becomes for everybody.
I think that this model as one that everybody should keep an eye on. In the near future, I hope that we see more brands embrace this way of thinking.
For the first time, I recently took some time to think about what I was planning to do with my life. I asked myself whether I truly wanted to become a graphic designer, and the answer was yes.
To create is in my nature. My fear is having to settle for a design position in some huge advertising company doing work that isn’t worth my time. The secret, I assume, is to work hard and become amazing at graphic design so that I can be creative in other ways than what time, money or the client will allow. I won’t mind those things, for they are sure to make some good stories some day when I give a lecture to a room full of young designers in my old age.
No budgets, proposals, deadlines. Just me and a paintbrush, pen, camera, pencil, and some paper, all backed by a creative mind.
When visiting colleges I have been told that many people come in wanting to be something and change their mind and graduate doing something else. Right now, I would tell you that this will not happen with me. Graphic design is for me and I am sure of that.
Design is simply what feels right for me, and I am happy it’s that way.
The multidisciplinary studio called Neuarmy has some great work to show for. Been spending some time looking through their portfolio online and so should you.
As part of a scholarship for college I had write an essay on an artist that I would like to spend an afternoon with.
One of the most well known and respected graphic designers in history was Paul Rand. He was not only a graphic designer but was an educator as well who taught at Yale University. He is responsible for creating many wide spread corporate logos, including UPS, ABC, IBM, Next, Westinghouse and more.
I chose Paul Rand because of the several stories I have heard about him and for the inspiration and education he has provided to many great designers who came after him. He is one of the people I regret not having the opportunity to meet.
If I was to spend an afternoon with Paul Rand we would visit his house. We would sit there, drinking tea that he made for us. His house would be simple but the furniture would be arranged perfectly. The home would be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Naturally we would have discussed graphic design and he might have gone on about form and typography. I would inquire about how he started his career and would be looking for stories about the amazing past that he had. He would stray away from the topic of graphic design quickly and there would be nothing I could do. He would talk about culture, ideas, and books. I would add my thoughts and we would debate about a couple things here and there. He would suggest books for me to read and new ideas to wrap my mind around.
From Paul Rand I would learn simple lessons that are important in life. I would not be educated in specific graphic design techniques or concepts, but rather I would learn about the larger picture of life. He would tell me how design impacts others, what not to miss as I went through life, and how to see the world.
For the next two weeks we are on break from school. It is a wonderful feeling, let me tell you. I stay up late working and then wake up late and the house is still and the sun is shining through the windows. These two weeks my work will span from Grab Bag Book and College Scholarships to Painting and Graphic Design. And let’s not forget this place, new written work is coming here tomorrow. Looking forward to sharing the awesome things I make in the coming days.
The time has come for a different kind of government and political system in the United States of America. We, the citizens of this nation, need and want a person that can lead us and change the country for the better.
This person is the Honorable Senator from Illinois, Barack Obama.
This is the man I want to be President.
I don’t only want him to become President, we need him to become president.
For the first time in my life, I will have the opportunity to vote. (I turned eighteen years old a month ago) Two years ago, I bought The Audacity of Hope, as a Christmas present for my father. I think this is when it all started to set in for me. As the primaries started to happen I started to follow the political scene more closely.
Barack Obama has a strong plan for the country that spans many important issues. The big ones are talked about in the news and are the ones that most people have heard about, but there are some other ones that I feel are just as important.
There is a strong Technology plan in place. Everything from keeping the internet open to privacy rights are included. Barack wants to open the government up to the citizens by allowing them to participate, ask questions, present ideas, and stay informed. He plans to make government data universally available online. He wants to open up government decision making and tap into the knowledge and ideas that people outside of the government have. Personally, this is a very important plan and something that I believe strongly in. This will change the way the government works.
Another aspect is the Service plan. Barack is calling for people to become more involved with their communities by assisting fellow citizens. The plan is to make it easier for people to serve their country through volunteer work and more. He wants to build service into the education program. He plans to invest federal seed money into non-profit organizations.
As for his other plans, I would like to see him bring creativity into schools more and I am not completely sure that reforming No Child Left Behind is the right direction to go in. I would also like to see a stronger environment and energy plan, all of the candidates have similar plans and I think this is an area where Barack can really make a stand.
Someday I would like to meet Barack Obama and get to talk to him for a couple minutes. To share my ideas with him and show my support. From watching videos and hearing stories, Barack seems like a normal guy and a real person.
He wants all of us to be agents of change, once we get him elected we still get to help him. Throughout his campaign, many people have been contributing their time and resources. Imagine if we were able to participate like this when Barack Obama is president! To be able to participate in the government of the nation like this would be amazing! We will have a different kind of White House, one that listens to the people.
Michael Bierut discusses the brand and design. Lawrence Lessig shares his thoughts on Barack with us. Marc Andreessen shares the story of his hour and a half with Barack. Kitsune Noir provides perspectives from three people.
This is a video created by some great people to help spread the word. It is not connected to the campaign and Barack did not ask for it to be created. It has been viewed millions and millions of times.
Learn more about my book (early stages, coming soon) on how we can change the country and world and solve our global problems by using new ideas and fixing how governments work.
And I just donated to Barack Obama’s campaign for change!
Thanks for reading and please feel free to share your thoughts and ideas with me. Barack Obama has and will provide Change We Can Believe In! Imagine!
This is it. This is home. And it is all brand new!
Over the past couple weeks I have embarked on a course to re-design and re-structure my online identity and presence. Through the process I have gone through many designs and plans, and in the end went with what you are seeing now. The new design has a consistent header on all of the pages with my name and a new tag line, “Happily Creative”. There is the page title and then the navigation on the right hand side. The site uses multiple installations of Wordpress that are all linked together. While this is not ideal, it works and I know my way around Wordpress.
In case you didn’t know, before this site I had a separate site and different designs for the blog, the book websites, the portfolio, the main page, and all the other websites. So this is a huge step in a direction that makes it easier for people to use and view. It makes everything unified because the same design is used! And all the old sites now re-direct here, so don’t worry.
The Portfolio has new work to show.
The Videos for Creatives blog is getting tons of new videos very soon.
The Blog is going to have content posted daily.
The Grab Bag Book has a new home and updates are coming soon.
There is also an Information section which provides information about myself. Instead of having to put a little paragraph on each of my sites about myself, there is now one place that can be seen in the navigation throughout the entire site. In addition, there is a Projects section which is where smaller side projects are being hosted.
I am glad that you are here reading this today. If you have been around this place for a while, thanks for everything! If you are new to these grounds, welcome and please explore the site. It is a pleasure to have all of you here and I am proud to share with you this brand new site.
Thank you, Ethan.
Welcome. This is a blog about design, the internet, life, and more. It is written by Ethan Bodnar, an eighteen year old designer, artist, and entrepreneur. Thanks for coming and enjoy.
Grab Bag Book (HOW Books)
A collaborative visual book that challenges artists from around the world to explore their creativity. Hitting the shelves in 2009.
Videos for Creatives
A blog featuring videos from the online creative community. Ranging from art and design to architecture and fashion, all in one place for you.
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These are all of the places in which I can be found online other than this site. Feel free to explore them and become in contact with me at each of the different places.
