I think my initial thought when I toured the Emerging Technology Center in Baltimore was "I'm doing it wrong." I instantly felt a pang of jealousy that enterprising people were coming to work every day in such a fun, laid-back environment. I've always been a stickler for classroom design. I simply don't understand how a teacher could come to work each day and not completely redesign their spaces (starting with those straight-from-the-devil flourescent lights). My classroom is full of warm lighting, fun posters, and even the starship Enterprise dangling from the ceiling. The ETC, though, seemed like such a fun place to work; it reminded me of all those stories I've heard about working at Google. Around any corner, I expected to find the beer fridge and ping-pong table.
Well, I was similarly pleased this weekend when I attended a class at Betamore. The space itself is just beautiful, with lots of great design choices. I was struck immediately by the beautiful view that I would get all day.
Well, I was similarly pleased this weekend when I attended a class at Betamore. The space itself is just beautiful, with lots of great design choices. I was struck immediately by the beautiful view that I would get all day.
The class I was attending was Typography 101, which for those of you who don't know, means I signed up for seven hours of fonts (although I quickly learned that we mostly use that word incorrectly). This is subject matter I suspect either sounds really interesting or really mundane, depending upon the individual surveyed. Going in, I only know that there is a a lot to know about fonts, which really just meant I was aware of a large gap in my own knowledge. Given that the importance of design continues to increase, I knew I needed to learn some more so I could pass that knowledge along to my students.
I'm pleased to report that I had a great time. While I'm not ready to hurl insults at anyone using Comic Sans (seriously check out the internet on this), I think the primer I got was enough to ensure I will be thoughtful in my typeface and layout choices in the future.
I was very happy to have attended the class, and at $60 for all day, I'd call it a bargain. The instructor, Mr. Andy Mangold, did a great job and presented complicated concepts in a very understandable way. Needless to say, I'm sure I'll be back at Betamore for more classes. Now, if I could just dream up that million dollar startup idea, I could spend all my time there!
Check out their schedule here.
I'm pleased to report that I had a great time. While I'm not ready to hurl insults at anyone using Comic Sans (seriously check out the internet on this), I think the primer I got was enough to ensure I will be thoughtful in my typeface and layout choices in the future.
I was very happy to have attended the class, and at $60 for all day, I'd call it a bargain. The instructor, Mr. Andy Mangold, did a great job and presented complicated concepts in a very understandable way. Needless to say, I'm sure I'll be back at Betamore for more classes. Now, if I could just dream up that million dollar startup idea, I could spend all my time there!
Check out their schedule here.
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