Pixelgawker

pixelgawker started out last fall as an experiment. there was and continues to be a need for critical writing in the classroom as well as a forum to articulate observations, tendencies and sometimes frustrations about being a student and faculty. since then, this blog has slowly emerged as a focal point for conversation, rants and a good dose of perspective. Since August, traffic on this site has reached over 75,000 visits. In 2008 alone, our traffic was over 46,000. Numbers can be deceiving but what this traffic honestly depicts is a demand for content.

When Megan and I started this, our intent was provide content that was relevant and sometimes challenging to the reader. I think we have succeeded but we also need help to grow these ideas and make the dialogue expansive. We know we aren’t the only ones out there who like to write and share ideas. Since our last Call for Entries, we had a couple of submissions that we thought were very good starts but needed some refinement. We hope to hear from those people again. Our intent is not to keep this conversation among a few of us. Rather, we want pixelgawker to be a cross section of students, faculty and designers who share the passion of design but offer different perspectives to similar issues we face in academia. We want the conversations to be constructive and pursue a greater awareness of issues brought forth. We also know writing is not easy. In the gloriously self-indulgent and design-centric Spine 2007, I compared writing to the act of taking a carrot peeler to the nostrils. It can be painful and time consuming, but with commitment, writing is one of the most satisfying activities I participate in as a designer and faculty. It’s always a struggle to begin articulating my idea but when I allow myself time to sit down and push thru ideas, I continue to grow a genuine interest in becoming a better writer.

So where am I going with this? Most of us are products of the academic cycle. As you have noticed, the number of posts have significantly dropped in the past month. They will continue to be low as summer sets in and students and faculty alike travel, work and play. Activities that will offer a balance to an otherwise crazy academic year. We have just run a 9 month marathon. We all feel a great sense of satisfaction but we are also exhausted. School is almost finished. We now have time to look back at what we have accomplished and the projects that were successful. This time also affords us the opportunity to reflect on failures and projects (for whatever reason) didn’t work out. This time of reflection is extremely important. I often say to students that failures become our best teachers. I also think that summer is extremely important to a student’s growth. We recharge our bodies and minds and come back stronger designers and better thinkers.

So, my challenge to all of our readers is simple: reflect on what you have learned, digest all the visual resources you have consumed and use this summer to write. The ideas can be short and succinct or long and verbose. Either way, we want to hear from you. Whether you are overseas or in your backyard, we look forward to your contributions.

For submissions, please email us at pixelgawker@spirit3design.com. Refer to the the earlier Call for Entries for submission details.

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