StephenEmlund.com Blog » Inspiration

GOP Candidates & the Obama Design Aesthetic

Stephen Emlund — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 02:45:23 +0000

I couldn’t help but notice a few striking similarities between current GOP candidate websites and Obama’s 2008 campaign website and the current White House website.

Glowing Blue Background

It seems that the new political design trend is going to be glowing backgrounds. Most of the candidate’s sites use a glowing blue background of some sort (see newt.org and michellebachmann.com)

Home Icon & Typography

The designers for Ron Paul’s website must have been inspired by whitehouse.gov because the navigation typography is almost identical. The flag icon on whitehouse.gov links to the homepage, while the home icon on Paul’s site links to the homepage. While not similar in design, the unique idea of using a homepage icon in that particular position is pretty similar given the other similarities.

However, I give props to Ron Paul’s web guys for actually making the navigation real text and not images, like the White House site. To be fair, whitehouse.gov has their full sitemap in real text in the footer.

Right Column Shadows

This one is minor, but I had to mention it because of how similar other elements are between whitehouse.gov and Ron Paul’s website. The right column on both sites are the same exact width as well. Inspired much?

The hokey, ‘look inspired and into the distance’ Photo.

Also known as the 40-year-old virgin portrait look. This is only funny because I really want to imagine the photographer holding up a picture of the Obama 2008 website and directing Bachmann to pose similarly. I feel like she forgot where the camera was one other time too… I kid, I kid!

Is there anything wrong with this?

Of course not. There is no copyright infringement here. Is it funny when you notice it? Yes. Mostly because of how different these candidates are from President Obama in every other way.

Here’s to great design that draws some of it’s inspiration from Obama 2008!

2010 – Year in Review

Stephen Emlund — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 06:53:46 +0000

Created and launched 18 websites
Created 3 logos
Created and coded 4 HTML emails
Created 5 motion graphic pieces (animated banners and otherwise)
Connected with 10 Creative Improv clients to complete design projects of all sorts
Grew Creative Improv by over 30%
Learned guitar well enough to play with a singer – see YouTube.com/rebakville
Learned a lot about photography and became a contributor to iStock, Shutterstock, and many other stock websites.
Most importantly, I met the woman I will spend the rest of my life with, and proposed to her – see StephenLovesRebecca.com

Wedding Invitation Design

Stephen Emlund — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:08:37 +0000

I've known Kristina for probably 5 years and it was a pleasure to design her wedding invitations!

The script typeface is called 'Buttermilk' and I purchased it from a great illustrator/type designer named Jessica Hische.

The swirls were customized from an original set of 'swirls' I had. The secondary typeface used for body copy is Baskerville Old Face. It seemed to go well with the elegance of Buttermilk

On critiquing design

Stephen Emlund — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

A person tends to critique a design in one of several ways. The most common, and usually least valuable, is by gut reaction.

— D. Keith Robinson

I totally agree here. I remember back when I interned at Workbench Magazine (now My Home My Style) and the Assistant Art Director, Doug Appleby would critique the magazine spreads I designed. Note: I would get his advice and critiques multiple times a day. He would always look at it for a minute or two before even saying a word. I believe he was really analyzing what I designed and what he thinks of it, instead of just saying his gut reaction.

Aristotle once said…

Stephen Emlund — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:30:00 +0000

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.

— Aristotle

No related posts.

Someone once said…

Stephen Emlund — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:00:40 +0000

Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.

—Judy Garland

Figure out what makes you ‘you’ and do that and do it well.

No related posts.

Six things to learn

Stephen Emlund — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 19:14:41 +0000

Great thoughts on the six things Derek Sivers wishes he learned before starting school at Berklee. Oh yeah, he also founded CDBaby.com.

What are some things you wish you learned before starting school or your job?

My Holy Sh*t Moment

Think Google. Think iPod.

Stephen Emlund — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 18:30:07 +0000

Just because something looks good doesn’t mean its useful. And just because something is useful does not make it beautiful.

— Joshua Brewer

Think Google – amazingly simple and useful, but not beautifully designed.

There is a difference between usability and beautiful design. It can be ugly and usable or it can be beautiful and unusable.

Every once in a while you find something that is both usable and beautiful. For this: Think iPod.

Inspiring illustration and design

Stephen Emlund — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 19:00:58 +0000

When I was attending Truman State University, there were a few artists I looked up to because their work was amazing. One of those people was Suzy Williams! She can design, illustrate, printmake (is that a verb?), draw, and even fabricate (OK, really, she does fibers work… quilts and things) Check out her portfolio.

I also noticed recently that she has started blogging. If you enjoy looking at great illustrations, check it out!

Crushing It!

Stephen Emlund — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:00:33 +0000

“You’ve got to crush it about the single thing YOU know best.”

Linchpin: GaryVee from Seth Godin on Vimeo.

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