Archive for the 'travel' category.
Mar 4 | Posted by Dave Fletcher | 1 Comment
Iconography, translated from Greek as “image writing”, has been both revered and over-analyzed throughout written history. With that said, theMechanism doesn’t see any reason to stop the scrutiny now.
On February 15th, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA.gov) began testing a new icon language for airline travelers in Salt Lake City, Utah. The graphic language is based on the familiar visuals that skiers follow on the slopes. While it’s intelligent to utilize a language familiar to the locals, you can debate whether the double design whammy of both realistic silhouetted illustrations (with ethnicity fully intact) on top of shapes related to ski slopes, is overkill.
Also questionable is how each illustration specifically relates to the text it represents. While a happy family holding hands is reasonable for “Families and Special Assistance,” I wonder which design meeting led to the decision that a guy in a baseball hat with a suitcase is a “Casual Traveler,” and a female with a purse is an “Expert Traveler?”
Future usage of the system will be tested at Denver International Airport, another place where ski icons and illustrations of white folks might resonate as well.
In the end – to the average passenger – if the ideas behind the graphics don’t expedite the boarding process, no amount of design – good, bad or questionable – will ever help.
Feb 22 | Posted by Dave Fletcher | 8 comments
After a short flight from icy Newark International Airport to balmy Jacksonville, a car pulled up in front of the pickup area commandeered by none other than Carl Smith, Search and Rescue expert from nGen Works, a legendary web standards design firm in town. I knew immediately, even though this meeting was prearranged weeks in advance, trouble would certainly be found with the nefarious Mr. Smith. After a swift, yet jaunty punch in the face from Carl (”Why, Carl, why?” I muttered through a mixture of tears and blood. Smith chuckled, “Because I love you man…”), my modest OGIO suitcase was heaved into the trunk of his mighty 4-wheeled steed and we high-tailed it to Destination 1: the Hampton Inn on 1331 Prudential Drive.
The welcome I received at the hotel was unexpected as a bevy of small, and highly unpleasant proboscis monkeys (a delicacy in the local restaurants) dressed to the nines in nothing more than Fluevog sneaks and nGen t-shirts, snatched my luggage and proceeded to drag it safely to my accommodations in the penthouse suite. Carl laughed, as this was another prearranged surprise, and he threw two bananas to the apes, who fought over the fruity treats while Carl once again, delivered a powerful punch to my face. “Good to see you, man,” he chortled. I teared up again, but wouldn’t respond…
Once inside, Carl spoke of my mission: speak on a panel with Klaus Heech - Owner/Art Director of Juicy Temples in Orlando, FL, and Jefferson Rall - founding principal and lead creative at TurnWest Collaborative in Jacksonville. Klaus is a gigantic man with equally gigantic creative skillz and Jefferson is a bit of hometown creative celebrity, signing autographs, kissing babies and alligators at every corner.
But first there was the business of meeting up with two of nGen’s ninja-like henchmen (Travis Schmeisser and Joey Marchy) and discussing both the state of the creative union and bands unbeknownst to anyone the pop music world, over several pints of Dos Equis and a delightful shrimp salad feast at a local 5 Points watering hole. We laughed, wept like children and parted ways all threatening to “see each other tomorrow” at the nGen Creative Bunker in the heart of Jacksonville. In true ninja fashion both Travis and Joey disappeared behind a puff of mysterious green smoke and were gone. I had no idea, but could only fear what would come next…
I could hear Carl’s car honking and startling the guests at 9:01am on the dot. As I pushed my way through the furious guests that had gathered around his vehicle, I remembered Carl’s instructions from the previous night like a terrifying childhood nursery rhyme: “If you’re either 1 minute early or 1 minute late,” Carl remarked, “you’ll get another ‘happy punch’ - this time in your eye.” After Carl finished tying his blindfold tightly around my head googlers, he reminded me that “if I removed it, he would ‘kill me’.” I shivered, as the car travelled at breakneck speed through the streets of J-Ville, into the dark heart of nGen’s Secret Lair. They locked me in the bathroom with my laptop, reminding me that if I complained, they would all make sure I never saw the sunlight again. My fingers tippity-tapped at the keys, sending out several distress emails, which I later found out, were all not only intercepted by the nGen team, but also sent to everyone they knew in Jacksonville with “LOL” in the subject line.
“It’s time to go Monkey Boy. Monkey Boy speak now,” chortled Carl, as his henchmen (including Bruce Cooke and Varick Rosete) pointed and made hissing ape noises. Again, I was blindfolded and taken (this time at gunpoint) to the River City Brewery for the panel talk to members of The Jacksonville Marketing and Advertising Club. I thought about leaping out of the car on the way to save myself from Smiths’ torturous ways only to remind myself of the live alligators that roam the streets of Jacksonville, feasting upon the tourists. I stayed put, now firmly bound with piano wire to Carl’s baby seat. The only thing I can remotely recall is Smith’s diabolical laughing the entire ride, occasionally drowned out by AC/DC pounding from the car speakers in mono.
The River City Brewery is located downtown, and while the sun was burning brightly in the sky, I found myself fighting to keep my composure during this ride. We arrived and after a brief introduction to Klaus and Jefferson, I was told by Carl to “speak when you are spoken to and I might not pour hot oil on your face.” I obliged.
The panel discussion was a delightful experience, with the three of us trading creative blows while Carl ran the show like a Russian ringmaster with trained grizzly bears. The audience asked questions and we responded in turn. In my newly elevated and wily state, I muttered “The Big agency model is dead” (more on that in a future post). Carl’s black eyes lit up and the captive audience (Carl had not only locked the doors, but he also had fastened prisoner bracelets to each attendees ankle) gasped. The panel discussion was truly a delight, and when the salad forks stopped being thrown at our heads, I ceased my Carl-induced weeping.
Next, we travelled like a merry band of rogues to Flagler College. On the way we spotted two tourists being devoured by what could only be described a perverse mutated half alligator half wildebeest. We pointed and chuckled like old pals. “It’s the way it is around here, Dave,” remarked Carl. “And if you keep looking at me, I’ll feed you to them next.” I turned away and choked back the tears…Again.
Flagler Beach is like combining the attraction of surf culture with the quaintness of an old Mexican town - with Pirates. We met Randy Taylor, one of the instructors at the college who is not only in charge of training today’s creative youth at the wily art of client interaction, but he also hangs his hat on a massive ocean cruiser that he calls home.
In a move that could only be described as foolhardy, I left my camera back at the nGen Compound, missing out on capturing much of the beauty that is Flagler. The architecture is quite breathtaking - with Pirates. It also happens to be Jeffersons’ alma mater, so we were treated like kings of yore and practically given the keys to the Dean’s dressing room. The four of us chatted with captive students (Carl used the same technique on them as he did earlier in the day at The Brewery) and found ourselves fast becoming friends. We feasted on beer, mead and more shrimp at another local watering hole and discovered that we all had many yarns of client successes and nightmares to share. In an astonishing surprise, my fellow dread-pirate pal Mike Rutledge, now schooling the students in the ways of “The Creative Force” at the college, showed up wearing a parrot on his shoulder and grasping a tanqueray and tonic in his hand. We spoke briefly about bars, beers and bears.
Moments later I was safely back at the hotel Hampton, my oasis away from the Flagler oasis with little knowledge of how or why I was here. I’ve heard of Carl’s memory altering tools, but never thought he would use them on me during our feast at Flagler. While the majority of this tale is likely a farcical memory implanted by the diabolical Mr. Smith, I still believe that my work in Jacksonville is not done. Someday soon, I will return — armed with alligator repellent and a hockey mask to deter the clobbering fists of Carl Smith…
Dave Fletcher is a Founder and Creative Director of theMechanism, a maxi-media firm in New York City and London. He hopes his memory of the event serves him correctly, and promises to write another entry about the Jacksonville trip as soon as Carl Smith’s memory altering chemicals wear off.
Aug 29 | Posted by Sharon | 2 comments
Once you drive through the Holland Tunnel, there’s a strip of highway in Jersey City where Dave Fletcher and I sometimes play a little game called “Spot the Hooker.” Chances are at any time of day or night, you will see a scantily clad lady trolling the lanes for her next conquest ready to check in to any one of the motels that litter this particular section of town. You won’t find the words “Hilton,” “Marriott” or even “Best” or “Western” in their names. You will however, see the words “Hourly Rates” and “Free HBO” pretty frequently.
However, during one of our games I noticed something beyond the hookers and the signs for mirrored rooms. I realized that each motel parking lot on this street of sin was designed to block the view of their customers’ cars. This was no accident. Drive a 1996 light blue Dodge minivan? Don’t worry…nobody will spot that tell-tale “Ask me about my (insert school here) honor student” bumper sticker. Borrowed your girlfriend’s Sentra for a night of fun with your new “friend” Candy? Well, your secret is safe behind that giant wall, curved fence or landscaped shrubbery.
Sure, you can call these motels sleazy but you can also call their parking lot design clever. Take a look for yourself next time you are driving through the shady side of “Anytown, USA”.
Sharon Terry is the Marketing Specialist for theMechanism, a maxi-media firm in New York City and London. When she’s not hunting down hookers in the backstreets of New Jersey while listening to Bruce Springsteen, she’s busy trying to make theMechanism’s wisdom required reading in local corporate circles.
Aug 25 | Posted by Joshua Ingber | Add a Comment
…is home of the Lutheran Teachers College, and just one of the places I stopped on my driving journey to Vegas and back. In Seward we met Ronoc, and when I say “we” there needs to be some clarification: “We” is my band, the Upwelling; consisting of Ari, Conor and myself. We were on a tour through the midwest and Seward seemed like a good place to stop for a cheap motel, gas, and a sandwich. Little did we know, we would gain an insight into the Creator, himself.
Ronoc is a Seward Elder, but his youthful zeal is surprising to a bunch of New Yorkers. His blue eyes gleam with no squint or trace of redness, and he talks excitedly to Conor of his early morning rise (5am) and jaunt into nature.
Conor is the youngest in our band, and has seen and experienced more of the world than I suspect Ari or I. He seldom goes to bed before sun up, and his brown eyes reveal the wear of his journeys. His experiences with nature have been tenuos at best. This is most evident by the series of scars on his elbow from diving into a bed of Rocks in Iowa.
Watching Conor and Ronoc talk about their opposite lives on the corner of a Seward street (as it was being cleared for the town’s weenie-race), was surreal. There was a purple glow of light surrounding both figures. Each seemed to go out of focus. I thought they would cancel each other out.
Luckily Conor left Seward safely, excluding a minor headache. He blames the coffee. Ari blames Ronoc…I blame God.
The point is, clearly God created the universe with principles pertaining to balanced design. But unlike theMechanism, God seems a bit careless. How could God let diametrically opposite aspects of his creation come into contact like they did in Seward? It is a miracle that the Universe didn’t collapse.
I guess in a way, I am thankful. I got to witness the “miracle of design” and survive!
Josh Ingber is the Controller at theMechanism, a maxi-media firm in New York City and London. When he’s not tapping out rhythms on his desk, or pondering the mysteries of the universe on company time, he drums for a New York-based band, The Upwelling.
Aug 3 | Posted by Sharon | 2 comments
As Billy Idol once sang, “Hot in the City…hot in the city tonight.” Chances are if Billy was in New York this past week, he would change the words to include a few expletives and finish the song with his trademark sneer and perhaps a kick to the microphone stand before he sauntered off the stage sweating bullets in his trademark black leather.
As you already know, our country is going through a massive heat wave thanks to global warming (wheee!) Now, anyone who knows me, knows that I love hot weather. “Bring it on!” I usually say, as I countdown the days until mismatched socks and puffy coats are but a distant, chilly memory. However these days, in this ridiculous heat, I find myself longing for the days of fuzzy sweaters and chai tea lattes.
But wait a minute! I’m a summer baby…a Leo through and through. I must remind myself of all the things to LOVE about New York City in the summer. So here it is…my official list of The Top Ten Things to Love About NYC in the Summer (in no particular order):
- The Park Slope Pavillion - my favorite place to see a movie, it’s nice and cool with mushy seats, there’s theater seating upstairs and they have the most delicious popcorn with an array of shakeable toppings like white cheddar, ranch and jalepeno (pure genius!)
- Hurricane Hopeful - Can’t get to the beach? Get a little taste of it at this Willieburg eatery. Sand, surfboards and lobster omelettes = yummy summer fun!
- The Coney Island Mermaid Parade - Signaling the start of the summer season, the parade is a not to be missed event featuring a wide variety of mermaids, pirates and even an occasional squid. theMechanism was there in full force…were you?
- Smoothies - whether you get them at Dunkin Donuts or Burrito Bar, nothing beats a nice cold mango smoothie in this hot weather. Plus they are healthy…kind of.
- Museums - we have a lot of them…and they are all nice and cool. Plus you feel a little smarter after you visit them.
- Shopping - visit one of the Apple stores and dream about your next gadget or visit B&H photo and grab a cool accesory for your camera. Pop into any number of clothing stores and make the most of the end of season sales. This is prime shopping season, baby!
- The Lincoln or Holland Tunnels - which lead to New Jersey and ultimately the Jersey shore. Don’t knock it ’til you try it.
- Kids jumping in sprinklers at the park - it’s cute…it looks like fun…you know you want to do it too. So do it already.
- Outdoor dining - OK, maybe not right now when it’s like 200 degrees out there, but in normal summer weather having dinner “al fresco” is unbeatable.
- Outdoor concerts - there’s something really special about seeing your favorite band under the stars rather than in a packed arena.
