Episode 125: Zoom Aesthetics

This week, Jessica and Michael talk about social, economic, and aesthetic implications of gathering only in videoconferences. Whether it’s a work meeting, a chat with family, or a therapy appointment, Michael says,

All of that is happening in exactly the same context. You know, your butt is plonked in the same chair you use for this. You're looking at the same sort of proportions screen… it's this great crushing, leveling of all the differences of being in a little room, a big room, a musty room…

And Jessica adds,

But if you’re watching a jazz performance, they’re not watching you.

Also mentioned this week:

Robin Givhan, Washington Post, Obama gives Biden his endorsement. He should really give him his lighting, that set and his camera
Maureen Dowd and Tracy Ma, New York Times, How to Look Good on Camera, According to Tom Ford
Nicholas Casey, New York Times, College Made Them Feel Equal. The Virus Exposed How Unequal Their Lives Are.
Brian X. Chen, New York Times, The Dos and Don’ts of Online Video Meetings
Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, Enough with the WFH sweatpants. Dress like the adult you’re getting paid to be
Marie Kondo, YouTube, How to Greet Your Home
You've Got Mail (1998) trailer
Jessica Salfia, The First Lines of Emails I’ve Received While Quarantining
Sian Cain, The Guardian, Poem constructed from emails received during quarantine goes viral
Megan O’Grady, T, The Shadows

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Michael Bierut studied graphic design at the University of Cincinnati, and has been a partner in the New York office of Pentagram since 1990. Michael is a Senior Critic in Graphic Design at the Yale School of Art.

Jessica Helfand, a founding editor of Design Observer, is an award-winning graphic designer and writer. A former contributing editor and columnist for Print, Eye and Communications Arts magazine, she is a member of Alliance Graphique Internationale and a recent laureate of the Art Director’s Hall of Fame. Jessica received both her BA and MFA from Yale University where she has taught since 1994. In 2013, she won the AIGA medal.

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