I found this video few days ago. After few googling, I figure out from Wikipedia that I Love the World is an advertising campaign launched by Discovery Channel this year (must be recently) in promotion of their new tagline: “The World is Just… Awesome”. Makes me smile everytime I hear its distinctive “boom-de-yadda, boom-de-yadda”. Indeed, despite all the conflicts, ugly polictics, disasters, diseases, etc… our world is just simply AWESOME.

I must admit, Discovery channel has market itself well this time. I love it so much. And the way Hawking says“boom-de-yadda” is simply wow.

You can see the ‘live’ version here, download the mp3 here. And if you happens to have portable video player, consider downloading the video (mp4) here. The links I have just given you are legal. The lyric is below.

It never gets old, huh?
Nope.
It kinda makes you want to…
Break into song?
Yep.

I love the mountains,
I love the clear blue skies
I love big bridges
I love when great whites fly
I love the whole world

And all its sights and sounds

Boom-de-yadda, boom-de-yadda
Boom-de-yadda, boom-de-yadda

I love the oceans
I love real dirty things
I love to go fast
I love Egyptian kings
I love the whole world

And all its craziness

Boom-de-yadda, boom-de-yadda
Boom-de-yadda, boom-de-yadda

I love tornadoes
I love arachnids
I love hot magma
I love the giant squids
I love the whole world,

it’s such a brilliant place

Boom-de-yadda, boom-de-yadda
Boom-de-yadda…

Wondering if I should make the Indonesian version…

I love the country,
I love the es cendol
I love ayam penyet sambal
I love when mie tek tek comes
I love the whole country

hmmm…

I could not claim that I am a good graphic designer (GD). Nevertheless, after doing several ‘amateur’ design projects over the past few years, I think I could shed some light to many younger designer wannabe who still looks GD through a rose tinted glass.

Please note that the tips mentioned below may be applied to many other technically specialized professions in which the big boss up there is not really intelligent and pretty much gullible. Please apply my following advice moderately depending on your situation. After all, personal development and satisfaction of doing your job properly are definitely l good, let it be for your resume or your next month paycheck or end of year bonus or another ‘frills’. Remember, attitudes counts. Use these following tips if and only if you see no way you could survive (physically and mentally) under your current situation.

1. Bargain for a much less requirement

There is nothing wrong to tone down your client’s requirements before they are asking for billboard that is equipped with anti-gravity machines. Rule of the thumb: clients’ expectation is always ridiculous thanks to marketing people.

1.1 Give a much more sophisticated result as compared to their smoothed requirements (optional)

After all, if you could suddenly give a design that exceed their expectation, that will be good for your wallet and reputation.

2. Never reveal all of your ‘good’ ideas at one time

Instead, put your mediocre design in between an ugly and an extremely ugly design. Save that ‘good’ design for a higher paying client. Combine this Tips #2 with tips #3 for a more powerful effects.

3. Make mistakes

Every client, let it be the manager, boss or customer, need some sense of importance no matter how ludicrous it is. On the other hand, you, as a GD, do not want your design to be screwed up by any incompetent bipeds no matter how many millions of years they have evolved. Your product is your resume!

The solution: make a very obvious mistake that even kindergarten students could spot with half eye opened; Set the fonts intentionally too big or too small. Make the picture slightly slanted. Choose a moderately ‘off’ color. Add some irrelevant grainy dots here and there.

It is a gracefully tailored solution that will prompt your client to ask you to fix your mistake first and prevent their brain cell from churning out nonsense suggestion which you could not oppose. Not only it will give a sense of purpose to the client but also an extra time for you to work on something else (since you know the fixed solution anyway). A win-win situation for everyone.

There is very few occasion which you could delightfully say “Are you satisfied now!?” with a grumpy look.

And just like any other magician, I still got some other tactics at my disposal. Hehehe