First off, I’m not much of a visual designer.  I can barely draw, my handwriting is ferociously difficult to read, and I can’t identify typefaces on sight.  However, I’m aware of my shortcomings so as a web developer I make use of very simple design patterns and online color scheme widgets to choose my colors for me.  I can whip up a simple text-based logo that is more attractive than you’d see on most corporate intranet sites and I like to think that I can make large amounts of data readable.

I also like to think that I can identify good design.  You see, I really like design.  I have much affection for attractive event posters.  There’s something about the presentation of very important data in a beautiful setting. Let’s take concert posters.  You have the band(s) performing, the venue, and the date.  The poster artist is tasked with making something simultaneously attractive, memorable, unique, and most importantly readable.  I envy the people that can do this, and I’m grateful that they provide something that merges my professional passion (data) with design, a skill which I mostly lack but try to employ anyway.

Logos.  I love good logos and even good company names.  I don’t, however, understand the need for the fucking registered trademark sign. (Ⓡ)  You see a great logo, then you notice that little cyst of intellectual property on the edge.  I understand the need for a business to protect its assets, but do we really need that mark?  It’s ugly, I’m sure the designer hates it, and it’s not going to stop me from doing whatever I want with the graphic.  It seems to be nothing more than a warning sign for would-be copyright infringers.

With the web, this little tumor has found its way to text.  Adobe might be the most carciniogenic corporation out there.  All over their website, their products are referred to as “AdobeⓇ ProductⓇ.”  Perhaps the most infamous example is their request for us to stop writing “this image was photoshopped” and instead claim that the image was “enhanced with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements software.” (http://www.adobe.com/misc/trade.html#photoshop)  How much money is wasted by the company in protecting something that only really only exists in our minds?  They’re concerned about the photoshop-as-verb version diminishing the strength of their brand.  What the fuck?  Do you think Kleenex wants you to start asking for a “tissue” rather than their genericized trademark?  Is the Coca-Cola company spearheading a big movement in the Southern United States to encourage the cessation of referring to all fizzy beverages as “Coke?”

I’m eyeing a utopia here, but imagine what we could do if we used all of that energy to work together?  The Free Software movement gets some of it right.  I’m completely fine with huge profit if it’s lawfully and respectfully earned.  Especially with the philanthropic tendencies of most of companies that enjoy such fortune.  I think corporations could maintain profit while easing back a little bit on the IP lawyers.  Who really cares if some high school kid loves your product enough to make a t-shirt and sell it to his friends?

I won’t even start on music copyright, so instead you should just listen to the new Girl Talk album while following the list of sampled tracks (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_the_Animals) and guessing which artist will be the first to sue him.