Kit.blog :: Cristian 'Kit' Paul

Thu - January 4, 2007

End

This is it. Kit.blog lives elsewhere now.

Click to jump to http://kitblog.com.

Posted at 03:45 PM | Permalink | |

Thu - December 21, 2006

Announcement: Kit·blog version 2

This blog will gradually move to kitblog.com

Kit·blog version 2 left this building and moved to its own domain name, kitblog.com which was indirected here until now. I tried not to make this public until the day the new blog is to be finalized, but my confidence is fading. Kitblog.com is under construction for so long that it would be delusional to believe that I'll finish until the end of the year.

So, what the hell, I'll build it while sailing, it's more fun like that anyway!

The new version was rebuilt on a Movable Type platform (great serious toy) and has more room for growth and features.

Please keep in mind that there are lots of bugs to be straighten out and there are whole section not even built yet, but still — go have a look, maybe hit the comment and let me know whether I'm heading in the right direction or not.

Posting (sporadic as it is) will continue here, too, until the other place is fully functional. Thanks.

Posted at 09:40 PM | Permalink | |

Thu - November 30, 2006

Uptime

By neglect

When terribly busy I simply quit restarting my Macintosh — for weeks — and by busy I mean heavy work in lots of applications both at the office, in presentations and at home.

Today is the 14th day from the last reboot and I guess it'll have to march on some more (in the days of OS 9 something like this would've been a miracle), but it will eventually become sluggish and I'll restart it instead of isolating and killing the processes that hog the system resources or leak memory. I know the uptime-victims that would prefer crucifixion to a reboot (not talking about sysadmins here, those guys get nailed for bad uptime records), and I am definitely not one of those: I usually don't even care.

How often do you shut down / reboot the computer you're working on? Do you simply ignore this and go on for weeks? Hours?

Posted at 12:40 PM | Permalink | |

Mon - November 13, 2006

1000 signatures

Against SDPR's "design law"

It seems that our petition against SDPR's law reached 1000 signatures mark. If you did not sign it yet, please do.

Posted at 05:48 PM | Permalink | |

International echoes (III)

Metropolis Magazine USA about "the design law"

Titled "Design and the State – A law in Romania requiring designers to be registered could push its best practitioners underground", a leading design and arhitecture magazine from The United States of America — Metropolis Magazine — publishes David Womack's article about SDPR's initiative for regularization of the design practice.

Here's an excerpt:

And you call yourself a designer? A law likely to come before the Romanian parliament in the next year would restrict use of the term—be it graphic, interactive, or product—to members of the country’s official design association, the Society of Professional Designers in Romania (SDPR). “Unfortunately the term design is used by anyone and anyhow just because it sounds exotic and it is the ‘in’ trend,” complains Alexandru Ghildus, a founder of the SDPR and professor of art and design at the National Art University, in Bucharest. To be eligible for “designer” status, one would need a degree from a recognized institution and to have completed a one- to two-year internship under the guidance of an SDPR member. Ghildus hopes that the law will prevent “counterfeit” design, which he says is flooding the Romanian market.

The proposed law has set off a furious debate within the Romanian design community and beyond. Almost a thousand people have signed an online petition opposing its passage, among them famous outsiders such as Stefan Sagmeister and James Victore. Local designers including Cristian “Kit” Paul and Ovidiu Hrin, who do not have diplomas but nevertheless have managed to build successful practices since the collapse of the Ceausescu dictatorship, in 1989, are leading the opposition. For them the law is disturbingly reminiscent of Romania’s Communist past, when regulation often served as a thin disguise for corruption. “These guys are not altruistically concerned about the well-being of the design industry,” Paul says. “They’re relentlessly pursuing their own self-serving agenda.”

Read the article here. Have a look also on the whole protest coverage list.

Posted at 05:34 PM | Permalink | |

Mon - October 30, 2006

What? I'm only a cat.

You go make us some money

I know it's cold and dark outside — this miserable weather sucks big time — but I'm only a cat and it's your responsibility to get out there in the rain and go earn some money, while mine is to stay home, be fluffy and have these beautiful big eyes.

Jee, have I told you this weather makes me sleepy? Bye now.

Posted at 12:16 PM | Permalink | |

Wed - October 18, 2006

LogoLounge interview

About this, that and the other

LogoLounge founder Bill Gardner and editor Cathy Fishel kindly offered me the opportunity of an interview as featured designer. it's about inspiration and masters, gratification in design vs. advertising, trends and the future — in not too many words and a few pictures.

LogoLounge seems to be ubiquitous these days, from US to Russian design magazines, competitions and seminars, while LL books are on the shelves of every decent bookshop and in many, many designer's bookcases. I may be biased by the fact that I was part of the latest LogoLounge book jury (LogoLounge 3), but it seems to me that Bill is on the right track to build a solid global brand targeted towards graphic / identity designers. For us.

Posted at 01:35 PM | Permalink | |

Sun - October 15, 2006

Branding landscape in Romania

Mirror mirror on the wall...

While there are tens of companies claiming "branding" expertise in their portfolio of services, customers vote with their wallet. A quick look through the newly released official 2005 turnover figures suggests the following Top 3:

1. FutureBrand/BrandTailors/McCann-Erickson – 574k USD (based mainly on McCann-Erickson's clients),
2. Brandient – 470k USD,
3. Chrysopeea – 405k USD (a good design company from Cluj-Napoca that talks little but does much).

Further down the pyramid — under 350k USD turnover — there are many design, web-design, events and production companies (e.g. Grapefruit, Brânzaș Design, Synopsismedia etc) and freelance designers that cover parts of the branding jobs.

◊ ◊ ◊

On a side note: some of the also-runners are over-vocal for their size and portfolio, which is okay as long as it's a Darwinian "survival of the noisest" attempt. Nevertheless, it is outright goofy when a contender (respectable otherwise) that didn't even make it to the Top 3 is self-proclaimed "the largest Romanian branding and design consultancy". In branding, bluffing is the worst strategy. In business, it can stain not only the bluffer's reputation, but the credibility of the whole industry.

Posted at 03:30 PM | Permalink | |

Wed - October 4, 2006

Third year in pictures

Bonus: the second one

3rd year of Kit.blog pictures -- Cristian Kit Paul.

For the record — without further due:
· The "3rd year in pictures" gallery
· The "2nd year in pictures" gallery

And for those of you newer to the game:
· The "1st year in pictures" gallery

Posted at 11:50 PM | Permalink | |

Fri - September 29, 2006

Fourth

This blog enters the fourth year

At first I was puzzled: why would a reader (from Germany, it seems) write "Happy anniversary Kit" in an email addressed to me a few days ago? What was that I celebrate these days? Damn, this is what happens for not marking dates in that calendar application. I was lost. I read it twice, and then some more, unable to see past the point that separated the words, twisting the message: my reader was saying "Happy anniversary Kit.blog!" How could I possibly forgot? Thank you! This blog was about to celebrate its birthday.

It does today.

After three years of blogging I have to confess in front of you all: I'm not an easy writer. I do not write easily, that is. Not in English, anyway. And then I'm chronically dissatisfied with my writing skills.

I tell you, sometimes this blog is like a dog that doesn't want to be walked.

But I am stubborn, too.

Posted at 01:00 PM | Permalink | |

Thu - September 28, 2006

Counting

Bloggers, one at a time

Antonio started it (he claims he got tagged with it by God, actually), I got it from Eduard and I'll pass it over to Dragos.

The list looks like this:

01. Antonio Eram
02. Ciprian Stavar
03. Radu Ionescu
04. Cristi Manafu
05. Andressa
06. Catalin Tenita
07. Ionut Buzoianu
08. Eduard Koller [previous]
09. Cristian -Kit- Paul [current]
10. Dragos Novac [next]

Rules: when tagged, post at least the list tail (if not all the list) comprising the number & name of the blogger that tagged you, your number & name and the number & name of the blogger you're tagging.

Let's see how this goes — during our life span.

◊ ◊ ◊

Later edit: We also need a method to track the process, I suggest tagging:

Technorati Tag: Numaratoarea blogurilor

Posted at 02:17 AM | Permalink | |

Tue - September 26, 2006

Summit

The full half

This XIth Francophonie Summit in Bucharest will paralyze the centre of the city and the hysteria already begun. Closed streets, police, helicopters, poker-faced guys with swollen armpits, unavailable parking spots, closed institutions.

Even dogs have to get passing permits in order to have access on the closed streets.

We're opening up towards Europe by closing down the city to its own citizens.

However, let's see the full half of glass in the story — I think this is a reasonable price to pay for all the refurbishing that's going on in Bucharest for the last few weeks. We now have a cleaner city that hopefully will educate the citizens that cleaner is better. Even the Victory Square and its surroundings turned into a more civilized place.

Posted at 07:15 PM | Permalink | |

Sat - September 23, 2006

Cosmin Bumbuț

'Professional Photographer of the Year' at IPA

Cosmin, Bucharest, July 2005

Bumbu ț confirmed his professional stature once again at this year's edition of International Photography Awards Competition / International Photographer of the Year Competition by winning a 1st place in Editorial category with images from Aiud prison series and a 3rd place in Travel-Tourism category with images from Transit series, along with no less than 12 Honorable Mentions.

This results qualify Cosmin's work for inclusion in both IPA 2006 Annual Awards book and 2006 IPA Best of Show exhibition.

I am very proud I could contribute to his outstanding results by sponsoring the cutting-edge custom pre-press process of his Transit book, a first in Romania.

Posted at 02:46 PM | Permalink | |

Thu - September 21, 2006

Orange

Not another phone shop

I am not keen on cocktail parties — because I'm not a skilled man of the world that feels right at home on the red carpet, nor a cheerful champagne-sipping party animal.

But when such an event celebrates design, I'm in.

That's why I attended this evening the grand opening of the Orange concept store on Calea Victoriei boulevard in Bucharest. The three story former music store was thoroughly revamped into a modern space holding several presentation areas, a cash desk for bills, a game zone, a coffee and salad bar and an Apple-esque "Genius Bar" named Dr. Orange. Broadband Wi-Fi all around.

And some spectacular toilets.

All in all this is not only a place worth visiting, but a good piece of retail design (signed by the local Ykon) that raises the dormant local market's standards.

I must say I admire the way Orange believes in design, extensively employing it at its fullest leveraging power. Kudos!

Posted at 02:08 AM | Permalink | |

Mon - September 18, 2006

Crash

And burn

Not burning, not really. But crashing hard disks, yes — one every year. I am not the only one playing this game, but I'm afraid I may be among the champions. Fact is, the high failure rate seems to occur only in portables. The desktops are happily crunching year after year like popcorn, they're just fine.

Is this okay, doc?

What about you — how often do you kiss your HDDs goodbye?

Posted at 01:30 AM | Permalink | |