GET ME THE MONKEY WRENCH: September 2007

Monday, September 24, 2007

Bumper Sticker Design

Newsweek ran a brief design analysis of the current presidential bumper stickers. Written by one of the partners from the Pentagram Studio, it was nice to see something like this running in a mainstream mag. Good to see that design does matter . . . So, who's your favorite (bumper sticker, I mean)?

The Monkey Wrench

As a kid, I thought one of the coolest things to do was work with my dad in his wood shop. Since I really didn't inherit my dad's skill at woodworking and general "fix-it" abilities, I ended up being the helper, but I didn't even do that well.

Once, in the middle of a rather intense project, he barked out an order to me: "Get me the monkey wrench." I ran to his tool box, rummaged through the pile of what I considered completely foreign objects, searching for the Holy Grail. My only problem — I didn't know what the hell a monkey wrench looked like. In that moment of panic — desperate to please my father and, even more so, not wanting to look like a complete idiot — I learned an important lesson: know your tools.

Now I know, regardless of our profession, we all have our own personal set of tools. They don't necessarily look like the ones in my dad's red Black and Decker, but they're just as valuable. In gathering my own tools, I've seen the importance of having them close by. Knowing what they look like. How they feel in my hand. When it's appropriate to use them. When to add to the collection. It's been said that the tools make the man. I'm not sure if that's true, but I think they definitely make THIS man a little more useful. So I'll keep working on sharpening my skills and looking for ways to improve the way I work.

At the very least, I now know what a monkey wrench looks like. (Thanks, Dad.)

GET ME THE MONKEY WRENCH

Monday, September 24, 2007

Bumper Sticker Design

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