Douglas E. Jessmer

No, really — get lost. Which is exactly what I proceeded to do last night (Friday, Sept. 29).

I was headed to Lansing for dinner with a close friend, when I ran into a traffic jam on westbound I-96. Four lanes pinched to one, then were detoured onto a marginal road. No signs back to the expressway meant that I had no idea where it was clear to get back to the highway… which meant I continued on the marginal road until it veered away. I desparately tried to find a way back to the main road, knowing I was going to miss the agreed-upon 8 p.m. meet at the restaurant…

… and ultimately wound up in Plymouth, then in Ann Arbor. Again, I was headed to Lansing, not to A2. The funny thing is, I have no idea how I got there, and don’t think I could retrace my route, if asked. My sense of direction has always been good… and I think it still is… but last night has me questioning myself.

When I moved to Pittsburgh back in 2001, the advice to “get lost” was given me by my then-supervisor. It was great advice, especially since I knew Pittsburgh a little, anyway (thanks, Kerry, if you’re reading this). I found a bunch of neat little neighborhoods that way. After a while, I was confident I had some idea where I was going most everywhere I went in the city.

So that’s one piece of advice I’d give anyone who moves to a new place: Just go drive around and get lost. But, as I was told a couple of times last night, by a couple of different people — stop and ask for directions if you can’t find your way. Remember, you DO have to find your way back to work at some point.

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A bombshell dropped this morning (Sept. 27) from Superior Avenue in Cleveland: Plain Dealer news artist Stephen Beard is moving to The Indianapolis Star. (more…)

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The type you use, as we all know (or should know) helps voice a story as much as the first few paragraphs. Mismatches send mixed signals, or reorganize hierarchies.

But how many people think about type when it comes to other things? Certainly, those of us who are ink-stained wretches have a heightened sensitivity. We see the subtle nuances in type (or should). But you have to think, when someone sets a letter in, oh, say, Comic Sans, that there are people who don’t see any relevance between the message and the media used. (more…)

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I’ve been thinking about a letter in the Fall 2006 SND magazine, “Design,” headlined “Design needs to get more local.” I’m not sure the headline really fits, and after a lot of thought, I’m not sure the letter indicts designers as much as it does decision makers in many newsrooms. (more…)

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OK, so I missed it by a weekend, but I was back in Florida, down in Orlando, for a day.

Heck, Spirit Airlines was running $49 fares each way — at the last minute! — so on the advice of partners in crime, I went, and we had a good time.

With the tourists gone, for the most part, International Drive didn’t seem that busy. And I saw the Shuttle launch, the big, towering plume of smoke and flame, from miles away.

And sat at the pool. And sunburned. And had pizza.

It was a fun time, but I was the only journo within at least 500 feet of me, at least that I’m aware of.

When I stepped off the plane (an Airbus, unfortunately) at Detroit Metro, the chill hit me — it’s in the high 60s and overcast, versus the mid-80s, the sun and the humidity Down South. You may begin to question why I’d leave sunny Florida for Detroit Rock City. The answers are easily found, and they’re all journalism-related.

Maybe I’ll have to make that trip again sometime….

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