How DID we end up here? A Critical Review of CCS’ latest gem, Perspective.
By megan dealFebruary 2nd, 2008
By: Megan Deal 
This past week the CCS community was introduced to the premier issue of the student produced publication, Perspective. Perspective appears to be one student’s abortive attempt to unite the CCS student body, mixed with an amateur’s undertaking in DIY desktop publishing. If the “Top 10 Reasons Why its Sweet to be a CCS Student” hasn’t turned you away yet, the “Go Green” sex advice surely will. The eight page journal seeks to explore issues presumably relevant to CCS students, yet fails to move past the cliche. Where to eat in Detroit? How to make a salad? How to forward your email? This type of information, however pertinent it may be thought, is best left for the annual New Student Orientation, or at the very least on a flyer hung around the ACB. Lee DeVito’s insight surrounding controversial art shines the brightest, but is under served among the remaining inanity. If a student publication is to succeed, its creator must carefully assess the need of its audience, and consider the question of value. Perspective hasn’t concerned itself with either.It is not in my interest to critique Perspective formally. In fact, I would suggest that all design students abstain. Is it really worth your time to talk about the ill-use of color, the myriad of font selections, or Papyrus? Save your thoughtful criticism for work that values critique. The issue here has little to do with graphic design sense, or lack thereof, and more to do with the distribution of funds at our institution. At the time of my writing this, the editor-in-chief has failed to respond to my inquiries, leaving me with no solid information regarding the amount of money allocated towards this publication. However, based upon a sampling of conversations with a variety of different sources, I feel comfortable to say that a large sum of dollars was granted by our institution, to compensate for printing costs. If such an unjust action did indeed take place, I’d presume that many other students feel just as betrayed as I do. What rule states that single students, regardless of ambition and dedication to a cause, should receive funding, whilst entire classes should be denied support? Who governs the fact that eight page, soon to be litter-box liner, magazines should be printed and distributed, while thoughtful, well-designed, award-winning student publications loose their financial support? Spine, for an example, wins awards, brings deserving recognition to students, and publicity to CCS; Perspective, and the useless content it contains, devalues what it means to be an art or design student.If the intent of Perspective is to provide students with a vehicle to develop their individual creative voice, then content of a higher caliber must be considered. Critical essays like DeVito’s need to become a staple, possibly alongside deserving excerpts of creative writing. If this publication is to hold any relevance, the content must move outside of our own CCS bubble, and focus on pertinent issues that face artists and designers everywhere. In his editor’s note, Josh Smith states, “Sometimes we need a fresh perspective, or a different perspective.” I think that sums it up nicely.
interest.
I have yet to see this, yet I understand your
feelings. Mediocrity is a fact of life, and wasting
$ on it is a true heart-breaker. I feel I’m used to
seeing it for so long it doesnt bother me
anymore. I just see it as personal motivation to
do better. In this case,.. you have a right
to complain about it.
LOL
Josh Smith states, “Sometimes we need a fresh perspective, or a different perspective.” I think that sums it up nicely.
I picked up a copy of Perspective today in the library and I have to say after looking at it I agree with Megan. The design is so distracting, articles that could be interesting and relevant to being an art student may go unread (see the article “How did we end up here?). Also, while I commend students for organizing this magazine, I feel like a lot of the content was filler. Maybe there was a lack of involvement from students in the creation of this publication? Hopefully any feedback the editor receives will serve to improve the next issue.
I also share the same view. It feels unfair for this to be magazine that is supposed to represent the student body. People visiting the campus culd easily get a wrong impression of us. I showed the magazine to someone from outside the school and their reaction was something to the effect of “you damn artists.” I feel like maybe the content is trying to hard to be Cosmo: CCS Edition.
My guess is that someone, probably Josh Smith, wanted to do something good for the student body but few others were willing to help. I am vice president of the animation group, Siggraph, and i have found it incredibly frustrating to organize events for the animation students because nobody wants to join the group. They just nay-say everything we try to do but wont come to our monthly meetings, meetings that are open to anyone, member or not.
Apathy is most likely the culprit behind Perspectives flaws. I saw Josh Smith working very hard to get the magazine up and running and he seems like he really wants something taht everyone will enjoy. Hopefully something will be taken away from the mistakes made in the first issue and more students will join in creating a more pleasing, aesthetically and content wise, issue next month.
I think a student-run magazine, such as Perspective, is a good idea, just poorly executed at this point (especially in terms of content). Perhaps more students would be interested in a school-wide magazine if it included more academic writing relevant to the art and design disciplines…not just random filler articles about Detroit, sex, and salads (and not just pertinent to CCS students). I think it’s important for us to get involved in the various dialogues related to art and design and hopefully, with a bit more planning, Perspective could instigate a dialogue between the various disciplines at our school.
I spoke to Josh towards the end of last semester, around the end of November or so, and he had mentioned that he was trying to get a student-generated magazine up and running, but wasn’t receiving much help from other students, including the design situation. “I already have all the funding from the school, and even a few companies to put advertisements in it, all I need is a designer.” He said he spoke to a few kids from the graphic design department (supposedly) and a few from advertising and no one was willing to help. I think he ended up designing all of it himself, and we see the sad result of that! I feel bad because he was so excited to see it finally in production, and it’s quite a disappointment visually AND content wise. I think it’s a good idea, he clearly just needs a BUNCH of help from other students, writers, and (for the love of God) designers to make it happen.
Oh and I love how the section about “There IS Stuff to Do In Detroit” is about the Main Art Theatre in ROYAL OAK. Nice.
GD students are much more then people who know how to use programs we are thinkers.
Anyone of us who is willing to produce someone’s idea because they have money with no “careful assessment to the audience, and the question of value”, well then you are becoming a computer pusher.
I think its important not to direct our focus specifically towards the individual(s) who created the publication, and spend more time discussing how publications such as this one end up with funding, while others get neglected. I don’t doubt the fact that Josh and others worked very hard getting this magazine organized and printed. As we all know, content development of any kind is a difficult task and requires sufficient time if it is to be done properly. To produce a valuable and quality publication, however, desire and ambition simply isn’t enough to lead success. I would hope that in the future, our institution takes the time to consider the material that they’re supporting.
Sounds like office politics to me. I would assume if a singular department receives funding for a publication / student run project that is solely for the use of that department, then every department must receive an equal share.
I can’t help but question why the school would invest so much into a project and not have full supervision over it. Financial Statements, proofs for approval? I can’t think that the President of CCS would want future prospective students and their parents picking up a copy of this magazine and reading about how CCS is tackling the environmental aspect of “greener” sex.
I suppose approvals are only needed for the posters advertising the magazine throughout the hallways.
Perspective received money from student government. I am on student government and was there when josh came to request money. His proposal was very professional, well thought out and delivered with confidence. This is something ANY student group may do. Perspective is an official student organization, which requires that there is an advisor who is among the CCS faculty. Perspective’s advisor is Dan Long, who works in student life. He watches over the group. HOWEVER he does not change the content. The entire purpose to having a student run periodical is to keep administration from censoring what ever is published.
To say the least, there is a hidden agenda behind this post. I believe (knowing megan) that her “betrayal” is built on the cut funding of the previous successful magazine “Spine”. Which was created by the graphic design department for a class, which students were given credit for. I was a faithful follower of this magazine and I have the first 4 issues (the missing issues are due to the lack of distribution, which come from the lack of funding). Even this last semester I met with two of the students in the class who worked on spine, to brainstorm ideas. One idea brought up was to bring Spine back to the school. This publication, (from the mouths of the two students I met with) was focused solely on the graphic design department, and was encouraged to do so by the instructor. No longer did they want it to be open to the school. My understanding of spine was (again from my sources) that any mention of opening submissions to the student body were revoked with little discussion. Marcus has it right on when he says perspective was and is struggling with dedicated members. Having people show up to one or two meetings and tell them they would take the time to do something for the periodical and then stop showing up was a continual problem. This made it hard on those people who were dedicated to get anything done. So it came to a point where everything had to be done and they relied on the people they knew would do it. Themselves. Were they the best for the job? Probably not. But they did the best they could. It got to a point where it was ether publish something or give up. So maybe this issue was that great. It had a lot of problems. But you should not be so quick to bash something with so much potential and instead maybe you should show up to meeting. It’s easy to sit on your ass and type into your blog. But at least some people are out there trying. I have faith that this periodical with improve over time.
The so-called “agenda” behind my original review has little to do with indignation, and absolutely nothing to do with the funding cuts for any other publication. Spine was simply an example to illustrate a point. If anyone would like to discuss the life, death, and/or subsequent rebirth of Spine, I’m sure a willing party could be round up for a factual dialogue on the issue. Further, the intent of this blog is to allow for the critical discussion of design issues as they pertain to students. A publication such as Perspective, when distributed school wide as it was, is subject to such scrutiny. I would suggest that the creators of Perspective allow for such criticism if the magazine’s intention truly is to serve all CCS students.
To make clear, yet again, this review was not, and is not, a personal attack on the magazine’s creators or funders. You, (art4life) of all people, know very well that I support Student Life and the efforts that they make to give CCS students a voice.
You suggest, “publish something or give up.” I suggest, consider the value of what you’re publishing, before your readers give up.
I think you should fist fight about it.
While I definitely give these students props for taking the initiative to do this, they still do go to design school and they should expect to receive the same critique of design and concept as they would in the classroom.
To quote Jurassic Park: “Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should.”
Well said Megan.
Very interesting comments on both sides of the argument…i have yet to look though the publication, but now i look forward to doing so.
^
yea, I seen it after I read this ..
I must say it IS a waste of $, materials, and
effort.
But..
Thats the way the cookie crumbles..
The kids who put this thing together DID IT.
They pulled some things together and did it.
Look around, theres tons of shitty stuff out in
the world,… mOre than qualitative stuff..
It boils down to how somone took the
inchoative to do somthing.