The Inner Kid

http://www.egopop.net/

This site "Egopop" is of particular interest to me. I particularly like Aleksandar Grkinic's use of very playful 3d objects.
He was a psychology student and he appeals to kids of all ages. Some of his other websites has a very symbol like feel such as the M3 logotype. What also appeals to me is the simple navigation
in the sites he designs.

oops here's the site....sorry

site.... http://www.christianlouboutin.com/

Bella

Inspiration-002: Open Your Eyes

I find this video to be very inspirational as the quality of the footage is top-notch. As an aspiring cinematographer my desire is to reach this level of quality in my work both functionally and creatively. The reason I am so drawn to the contents of this video are because the execution of the story being told is quite impressive. Being able to maintain such a high level of quality by not compromising technical details-in my opinion–tells a better story than simply focusing solely on either one of the two. Additionally, I also find this video inspiring because it's attainable. Overall, my inspiration here is drawn more from technical aspects than creative.

Inspirational website

Hi everyone,

Here is another website that I find inspiring and amazing. This is a website of a famous French shoe designer, Christian Louboutin. His designs and drawings of shoes are already great pieces of art, but I think the website design communicates well his design shoes. I think this website design has many elements which makes it so effective such as sound, flash, movement, flickering of lights, background noise, organization and easy navigation through site.

Every time I enter the site, I find something new and I question how the designer created it. Maybe some of you can figure it out.... Enjoy!

Design for Wednesday 8/31

Hello class,

Here is something i wanted to share for the blog for this week's class. It is the website of the band LMFAO... Very cool design and layout, it is very clean and doesnt crowd to much in too little a space. I think the design is a success because it fits the band's aesthetic perfectly. The only think I would have liked is to have some of their music greet me on the landing page. Other then that it is pretty cool.

http://www.lmfaomusic.com

~Rob

Conditional Design Manifesto

By documenting their operating model, the group of designers {Luna Maurer, Edo Paulus, Jonathan Puckey, Roel Wouters} have put together a set of principals that explain--and inspire--with their attempt to project execution and problem solving.

Their systematic approach is classified within three categories: process, logic, and input. The process is the product in which elements of the environment are logically altered by adjustable parameters.

Not sure if its the minimal writing, word selection, or just the feeling of recursion of a process within a process, that I feel drawn by it every time I read it. This is one of the few sites that I find myself constantly coming back to for reference and inspiration.

Process
The process is the product.

The most important aspects of a process are time, relationship and change.

The process produces formations rather than forms.

We search for unexpected but correlative, emergent patterns.

Even though a process has the appearance of objectivity, we realize the fact that it stems from subjective intentions.


Logic
Logic is our tool.

Logic is our method for accentuating the ungraspable.
A clear and logical setting emphasizes that which does not seem to fit within it.

We use logic to design the conditions through which the process can take place.

Design conditions using intelligible rules.

Avoid arbitrary randomness.
Difference should have a reason.

Use rules as constraints.
Constraints sharpen the perspective on the process and stimulate play within the limitations.


Input
The input is our material.

Input engages logic and activates and influences the process.

Input should come from our external and complex environment: nature, society and its human interactions.

go to conditional design manifesto >>

Letterscapes

Created by Peter Cho using Processing, Letterscapse is an interactive exploration of shape, form and interactive movement of recognizable characters. Using processing and Java, Peter cho has created a simple, yet engaging environment where one can freely navigate the world of letters he has created. I felt that his combinations of color, form and movement were striking, clean, and different. His unique user interface was a bit cumbersome when trying to escape from one are to return to the main screen. I figured it out, but I'm curious to see if anyone else from class has the same issue.


check it out below:
http://typotopo.com/letterscapes/index.html

Action Word Assignment

1. Pick 5 of the action words / phrases

2. Use illustration / photography / artwork to design and develop your ORIGINAL icon

3. 500 x 500 pixels @ 72dpi as a guide, your icons do not have to be square, they can be rectangular, etc

4. Wednesday (August 31) pitch me your concept and how you plan to execute the final deliverable

5. Final deliverable is a suite of 5 icons that express the action phrases you chose (keep in mind they should all be consistent and have the same look and feel)



DUE WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 07, 2011

Design Process

LOOK AT THIS & REVIEW!

http://modernspecies.com/case-study/our-design-process

My logo Design

Class,

This is the logo that i chose for my profile from the iterations that I made for this assignment. I felt this logo was the closest match to my personality and design aesthetic. I love bright colors, that are dramatic and really pop. this probably relates to my background in snowboarding where these colors are very much part of the art and style of the sport. I am also very much into a ripped apart/graffiti style. This is the reason that i chose the resulting font. I felt that this iteration, where you could barely see the letters, helped make more shapes that are pleasing to the eye. These shapes in my oppinion also create movement in the picturespace. the balance between blue and orange was also very much a part of this choice.

CG Hook

I chose Lionel Text Diesel as the text for the last few iterations of my personal logo. It is a very clean and clearly legible font. I want my designs to also be as clear and legible. Recently I have been making myself get out of the fad or using distressed type faces for anything and everything. Having said that, distressed fonts do have their place.

When creating this icon, instead of forcing shapes out of all of my initials, I decided to highlight the differences between the letters. This shape above is the space that the letters "C" and "G" do not have in common. As I was making this shape. I was looking at the form that was unfolding. It started to resemble the tip of a harpoon. Though I despise whaling, I am a water enthusiasts and an avid sailor so I felt that it was a fit. It also is an arrow that is pointing forward. I hope that it reminds me to never stop moving forward and challenging myself as a designer.

Iconic

In selecting Century Gothic for my font, I challenged myself to settle on a contemporary typeface that would be versatile in font weight and shape, as well as treatment of negative space. The color I selected would be pleasing to the eye, and not have too much contrast. In selecting my pick from the 20 ideas, while the last ones I put together became increasingly interesting, I found this one has many possibilities, especially for a possible Flash animation as well as a website, perhaps the negative space that is a portrait window to showcase some of my work. Or use the top space to show a banner, something you might see in "ArenaVision". I feel that the design is clean, and I like the tension effect of the M under the bold face. Sort of a "grace under pressure. Additionally, I like the abstract look. The letters are there, but they creat interesting negative shapes as well as their own look, from a number of perspectives.

Design 001: Logo

I chose this design from the twenty others primarily because it feels the most important. After I finished creating my logo batch I stepped away for about a day then came back and looked them over again. When I did this I found that my eye was continually drawn to this particular design. I surmise that because of its unusual structure my brain is trying to figure out what the shape is. However, as it's creator I know that it was modeled after the mathematical sign for infinity. It's obviously not too similar, but the overall shape is close. My design with this design was to leave the viewer intrigued but not confused. I would say that I did moderately well in achieving this goal.

Additionally, I chose the color yellow for several reasons. In our culture this particular color is interpreted to symbolize clarity, awareness and accomplishment. These are principles that I want both my prospective clients to associate with my brand as well as with the product they receive. I also find that this color best symbolizes how I tend to view my role as a media provider.

Logo Design 1

I chose this design for my initials because I think it portrays my style , philosophy and attitude of art and design. There is something about its fluidity of the lines, positive/negative spaces, and its high contrast of shapes/colors.

I like designs that classic, simple, organic, natural, intriguing, memorable, and "eye- catchy". I also chose this font style for its silhouette shapes of plants or leaves that seem to create this movement within teh square. Black and lavendar colors have always been in my color scheme of my representation. I find them powerful but also a delicate combination.

The two letters that I worked with were I and K. The I is positioned horizontally and the small K letter is overlapping the I. With this kind of overlap , it seems as though the top of the K letter continues onto this organic shaped spiral line.

Lastly, as we discussed in class there in interesting relationship occuring between the straight outlines of the letters and the curvy lines within the letters, which creates this "eye catchy" design.

Logo_LC

Both letters are merged together to create single element. The surrounding white space plays a dual role of enclosing the shape as well as representing the letters themselves.

The sans-serif type is simple, who stripped down to its most basic elements brings order and elegance to the design. Orange, an energetic color, calls to mind the feelings of excitement, warmth, and enthusiasm.

Jakob Nielsen

Class, get to know Jakob Nielsen & his 10 Heuristics for Usability -

These are ten general principles for user interface design. They are called "heuristics" because they are more in the nature of rules of thumb than specific usability guidelines.

http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html

HomeWork August 26

HomeWork:

1. Pic your best Logo iteration and "blog it" - tell us your design rationale

2. Use your best iteration as your blog profile pic

3. Submit your 5 best design iterations on 8.5" x 11" document (landscape) jpeg format

By Monday!!

Photographer's website....

Cool web design.... http://leetowndrow.com/

This is a portfolio website of Lee Towndrow, a famous photographer. I came across his website accidently and it definitely caught my eye. The layout of his photographs are interactive with the viewer and well organized. It makes it easy to follow his art style, subjects, and his skills. It made me want to stay on the website to look through all of his photographs and get to know him a little bit better. It also reminds of film strips and make me want to follow it as a narrative.

What looks cool to me

I never thought I would still be looking at music videos, but I guess there are cool ones still out there over the lip sync videos that flood the airwaves. And before the MTV generation, there was The Beatles....Of course " A Hard Days Night" pioneered what has become music videos. And of course "Strawberry Fields Forever"...way before MTV.

But there is one in particular I like...to me it is well edited, and I like the special effects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpJQWGA108s

I like the edginess of the graphics. It has the look and feel of The Cars brand of music. Pop, rock, new wave. If I was going to do a music video, I would want to capture the feel and effects of this video.

Eric Whitacre's Virtual Choir - 'Lux Aurumque'

I had originally heard of this project on NPR a few months ago. Eric Whitacre had come up with a plan to have chorus members from all over the world sing a different part to 'Lux Aurumque'.

There are 12 different countries represented:
Austria
Argentina
Canada
England
Germany
Ireland
New Zealand
The Philippines
Singapore
Spain
Sweden
United States of America

This stuck me because of how it made it possible for so many people to come together to create something beautiful regardless of how far away they were. This use of technology shows what can happen when we have a tool that can bring us all together.

Compressed Moive Barcodes

Movies are a very powerful communication tool. The way we feel, think, and react may be altered based on the stories being told, however much of the story-telling power comes from the colors and tones that set the mood.

Shown below, every frame in The Matrix is compressed and placed next to each other to form a unique barcode. The compressed result illustrates a condensed view of the entire movie.

See more on the moviebarcode tumblr >>

Inspiration-001: ShapeShifter

I was introduced to Charlex's work late in my undergrad career but quickly grew to appreciate their style. Since the first time I watched this, it has served to both challenge and inspire me. Every level of production was met with flawless precision. Most notably the chosen narrator. I could go on about the technical achievements, but those aren't what truly inspire me here. I am drawn to the blending of visual and the spoken word. When I watch this video I see the visuals not as impressive feats of artistic expression–though they are–but as extensions to what's being said. I think there's something to be said about realizing such a high level of parallelism. To me this is a level of creativity I have yet to reach.

In addition to the impressive creative display I also find several nuances about this piece to be very philosophically stimulating. Since I come from the Christian tradition, the element of spirituality plays a large role in my analysis of art, creative expression and so on. I find in this piece a dichotomy that both frightens and intrigues me. Though it is a beautiful work of art, this video was actually created to be an advertisement for Audi. However, the commercial purposes were blended so skillfully with the artistic that it is difficult to distinguish the two. Thus the philosophical implication of whether it is permissible to allow something–artistic expression–that at its core is defined by being beholden to no man, to become a tool of commercial enterprise. In other words, should we welcome or scorn the hybrid that is created through the integration of commercialism and artistism?

The inspiration I draw from this work is two-fold: seek to find avenues to which my creativity can serve a purpose higher than commercialism and achieve the same or greater level of excellence. I do however realize that marketing plays a heavy role in a designers income. Thus, I live in the tension that exists because of that fact.

A cool design...

Hey class,

I wanted to post this motion comic to show everyone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAUAC0RzMis

I really like the design of this work. The colors, the music and expression all fit very well with the dark and desolate vibe. The movement involved does a good job at showing the intent of the writers however, it still leaves a lot up to the viewers imagination. It does a very good job at drawing the viewer in and making you want to see more. I really love the character art involved too. The paint textures really add to the overall vibe of the piece. If anyone wants to see more, all of the parts of this series are posted on youtube. I'll see everyone later tonight in class.

~Rob

First Post

Students, please join the blog using the menu on the right of this page, we'll be posting and reviewing in class on a weekly basis. You can post just about anything design related that inspires you and you feel you want to share. Web sites / imagery / video / audio are all acceptable.

{ Please comment why you are inspired by your post and feel free to comment on other people's posts. }