It's a god-awful small affair...
...or is it?
So, Sam Tyler's dad was a crook. Oh, and he didn't wake up - no surprise there.
Last night we were treated to the final episode of the wonderful "Life on Mars" on BBC1, the best thing to be seen on TV for quite some time. In fact, I can't remember the last time I looked forward to Monday evenings with such anticipation (probably not since the 1970's). Of course, there will be a second series - it's already been commissioned but we'll have to wait 12 months for it. Meantime, if you didn't see it, there are bound to be any number of repeats before then, heck there will probably be a DVD in a couple of weeks.
So, what's this got to do with anything? Well, after last weeks episode, a particularly powerful story about a small-time drug dealer who dies in police custody, I began to wonder what it was about this TV series that caused me to enjoy it so much. Naturally, I though very hard about it and came up with a number of reasons; the fact that not only were the clothes, settings and attitudes consistent with the era in which it was set but that the writers had even used a 70's style narrative structure. Then there's the fantastic interplay between the two main characters... I could certainly go on. And, in fact I did. Eventually, my wife expressed the opinion that all TV is ephemera and not worthy of such cogitation. Of course, I pointed out the cultural significance of the themes in Life on Mars but she was having none of it.
There's always a chance, of course, that she may be right. But what's important here is not the relative significance of a TV show but the fact that it made me want to think about why I liked it so much.
The best designers are also very good critics because they look, they see, they analyse and they form an opinion. It's a relatively simple process but one that many find difficult. I can't tell you the number of times I've shown a group of students a photograph of a landscape or a website or some other designed thing only to hear, when asked what they think of it, "Yeah, it's OK, I quite like it", followed by a big full stop and a silence.
Practice being a critic, it's one of the best things you can do to become a better designer. Even if you only start by thinking about TV shows - observe, analyse and think critically. It's habit forming.
So, Sam Tyler's dad was a crook. Oh, and he didn't wake up - no surprise there.
Last night we were treated to the final episode of the wonderful "Life on Mars" on BBC1, the best thing to be seen on TV for quite some time. In fact, I can't remember the last time I looked forward to Monday evenings with such anticipation (probably not since the 1970's). Of course, there will be a second series - it's already been commissioned but we'll have to wait 12 months for it. Meantime, if you didn't see it, there are bound to be any number of repeats before then, heck there will probably be a DVD in a couple of weeks.
So, what's this got to do with anything? Well, after last weeks episode, a particularly powerful story about a small-time drug dealer who dies in police custody, I began to wonder what it was about this TV series that caused me to enjoy it so much. Naturally, I though very hard about it and came up with a number of reasons; the fact that not only were the clothes, settings and attitudes consistent with the era in which it was set but that the writers had even used a 70's style narrative structure. Then there's the fantastic interplay between the two main characters... I could certainly go on. And, in fact I did. Eventually, my wife expressed the opinion that all TV is ephemera and not worthy of such cogitation. Of course, I pointed out the cultural significance of the themes in Life on Mars but she was having none of it.
There's always a chance, of course, that she may be right. But what's important here is not the relative significance of a TV show but the fact that it made me want to think about why I liked it so much.
The best designers are also very good critics because they look, they see, they analyse and they form an opinion. It's a relatively simple process but one that many find difficult. I can't tell you the number of times I've shown a group of students a photograph of a landscape or a website or some other designed thing only to hear, when asked what they think of it, "Yeah, it's OK, I quite like it", followed by a big full stop and a silence.
Practice being a critic, it's one of the best things you can do to become a better designer. Even if you only start by thinking about TV shows - observe, analyse and think critically. It's habit forming.
Comments