The hidden cost of creativity

[Vanita 'Bezi Phiri] I've been exposed to a myriad of advertising campaigns that are inspiring in terms of creativity, but essentially poor in selling the product they're advertising. It explains why ad agencies lose accounts that have won them prestigious awards. A lot of ads may get the audience's attention, and perhaps even entertain them, yet they fail to drive them as consumers: the worst example being clever ads whose products the audience forgets. 28 Aug 2012 05:16

The fine line between graphic design and art direction

[Vanita 'Bezi Phiri] As an art director, my title misleads people into thinking that I take home a hefty managerial wage. It gets more confusing when I try to define my line of work since what follows is often a request to explain the difference between graphic design and art direction. I'm weary of assigning demarcations, especially in situations where perplexity originates from likeness and not difference. 21 Jun 2012 13:08

CS6: who gives a buck?

[Vanita 'Bezi Phiri] I recently downloaded Photoshop CS6 Beta to get a taste of what the fuss is about. The idea, of course, is for Adobe to see how we react to the application and its changes before the official release later in the year. Though the real cost has not been publicised, the question on my mind is whether the upgrade is worth the possibly big hole it will leave in my wallet. 5 Apr 2012 14:05