meredith adams

KCAI finding way

2011-04-25T16:39:00.001-05:00

KCAI finding way

2011-04-09T12:45:00.002-05:00

2011-04-08T14:25:00.002-05:00

a little glimpse of spatial experience....

2011-03-28T10:01:00.002-05:00

2011-03-03T21:27:00.001-06:00

If you would like to check out my degree project test blog, here it is.

success & happiness

2011-02-03T15:47:00.002-06:00

after discussing my project with classmates, I've developed the idea that I might have two paths. One would be students dealing with depression and the other would be an advice book/database/website/blog with personal experiences by different individuals. An example of something like this would be the "for students" section on the AIGA website. Also, the book Never Sleep...

rediscovered gems

2011-02-03T14:17:00.002-06:00

I just found some files from the first round of portfolio and personal identity design.. and took a few screenshots. the numbers are the amount of days I had been designing up til that point...

I don't know how much I'm going to keep, but I still like the aesthetic! We'll see how much makes it to the next round.

2011-01-27T12:53:00.001-06:00

I've always felt like I have endless options when it came to my education and career. This kind of thought process kind of goes hand in hand with the array of interests I have... and while this variety has always suited me well with my design process (making it easy to switch between projects), it often makes the assignment of choosing career goals quite difficult. I've personally always been told to picture myself in one, three, five, or ten years and then take into account what I see.

Most of the time I see myself working with a team of equally passionate peers, sometimes as the head of the team and sometimes as a team member. In contrast though, I also picture myself shooting in a studio with all kinds of equipment and minions surrounding me. (this might be one of the more idealistic dreams) Another image in my mind is one where I'm walking around a museum planning an exhibit and helping to decide visual details and flow. But the last image in my mind is probably the most solid—the one where I'm in a university classroom with a group of students. I see all of these as career goals and I've got an idea about what time they'd fit into my life, but I also know that I have personal goals. These are ones that I know I need to do to feel wholly fulfilled. This is where I fit my year or so of travel photojournalism. I see this fitting into my life sooner rather than later; but not before I learn more about life, myself and my career.

While all of this may seem wildly idealistic or naive, I base a good amount on professionals that I've talked to or observed doing these "jobs". And I'm also accounting for the unexpected. My most influential events in my life have all been unexpected so I've learned to accept the unplanned and, well, roll with it.

Now, for those of you who do best with a timeline, I've included one below.

years 1-3
- work for a small studio and gain a lot of experience
- save money for photojournalistic travels
- travel to India, Europe and (back to) Ireland
- publish articles in various magazines
- apply for new jobs in design and/or photography

years 3-10
- work with a brilliant group of people at new job
- begin pursuing museum related jobs
- apply for masters programs in design/photography
- get masters degree
- party
- save for studio equipment
- apply to become an adjunct associate professor

years 10-20
- open photo studio and hire minions
- create a successful photography studio/ freelance design business
- teach as an adjunct
- hire interns
- take another long photojournalistic trip

years 20-40
- hand over empire to a minion
- become full time faculty
- retire when I get tired of students

years 40+
-retire to Co. Kerry
-purchase this b&b

degree project: assumptions + experimentation

2011-01-27T10:51:00.002-06:00

assumptions
* most students need balance to be successful
* most college experiences are similar
* balance means the same for everyone
- students need _________ to be successful (balanced diet, sleep, exercise, life experiences, etc.)
- photography and technology are the best ways to reach my audience
* my "characters" will best reach my audience
- students seek information about being successful
- students know where to seek this information

questions
what is balance for specific people?
what does balance mean for a _____ year old?
what do college students need?

conclusions
1. I need to deliver specific tools for students to learn what "balance" means for them.
2. balance in college is technically balancing the already unbalanced.
3. everyone's college experience is different; along with levels of success.
4. everyone has different needs. ;)

experiments
- interviewing "characters"
- different tool deliveries
     - sending different kinds of success packets (notecards, giftbaskets, booklet, etc.)
   - image tests
     - technology test (website, email, social networking, etc.)
- test specificities (starting by understanding different characters needs)
- conduct interviews with professionals
- survey about importance of specific needs (sent to KCAI, UD, OSU)

2011-01-26T22:08:00.002-06:00

what have I been doing these past few months?

2010-12-03T02:11:00.009-06:00

MX: reading response

2009-11-17T22:32:00.001-06:00

"In the 1990's as the internet progressively grew into popularity, the role of the digital computer shifted from being a particular technology... to a filter for all culture, a form through which all kinds of cultural and artistic production were mediated." This idea is one I've rarely really thought about(maybe I avoided thinking about it)-- this idea that now, as a society, we view the gallery, the book, and the cinema in a web browser. We listen to our music in the virtual world. Reflecting on my lifestyle, I realized that I get my news, movies, (some) visual inspiration and music almost solely on my computer and most often with the internet. It's inherent usage in these activities made it so that I never had to think about it. With that in mind, this idea is especially interesting in context of our last project-- where we forced the user to do almost everything via the computer or iphone screen. This isn't to say that it was all about the computer. For Alicia and I the computer/iphone combo was mostly used to support real life activities, but it's constant involvement is still there.

At the beginning of the reading the author makes a bizarre, yet relevant, connection to blade runner and the aesthetics that were created for the computer and the movie. I find it interesting how now, as a design community and as designers with this new project, we're both trying to break free of the rectangular aesthetic and usage while also embracing it's consistencies to help the user navigate our interfaces. Later the author says "the interface shapes how the computer user conceives of the computer itself. It also determines how users think of any media object accessed via a computer". In my mind this means that when we use a specific interface in our portfolio sites it affects how the user sees our portfolio. Later he says "stripping different media of their original distinctions, the interface imposes it's own logic on them." Does this mean that my print work loses it's context? I don't think so-- not if it's displayed with some kind of differentiation from the digital work. Or if it's displayed in the way Jessica uses in one of her ideas-- with an interactive page turn. I could even go around it all together and include PDF's so that the user can print and have mini's of my projects. (slightly narcissistic I know, but it would be cool right?)

I also love that the author brings in Karl Marx's idea of overcoming the work/leisure divide. It's so incredibly relevant to us now with our habitual pattern of: design(work), design while listening to music, check facebook, read the news, design, play a game, pay bills, repeat. Work and play are inherently intertwined with something like the internet. There are ads for fun the instant we open a web page, for god's sake. And it's not only interesting in the context of those ideas and the ideas presented but also with what we're doing in class. We're basically playing around with programs and interface concepts to eventually use our results in our work. Marx is rolling in his grave; playing to fulfill work. ha.

There's one last quote I found interesting. In the early 90's the computer was seen as a tool (which is they way I'd like to see it now) but it's evolved into something else. The author describes this saying "In short we are no longer interfacing to a computer but to a culture encoded in digital form." This can play to our advantage as designers, inherently making it easier to develop systems and interfaces. At the same time, it scares me how the computer has evolved into an entire culture-- a culture that sometimes-ahem-takes over reality. It's a little bit of a love/hate situation for me. Idealistically it'd be nice to go back to reading a book by the fire, watching movies in a cinema, listening to music on a record player and picking up a newspaper each morning. But the computer affords so much, that in reality it's best to embrace it and develop interfaces that use the concepts mentioned in the reading. By embracing these concepts, we create new experiences and uses for people. We can push and manipulate the way people interact with the computer and digital world.

You're still working on your logo?

2009-11-09T16:36:00.003-06:00

yes.

Here's the final. I'd swap out my 7 main colors depending on the purpose.

I might be on to something?

2009-11-02T00:27:00.000-06:00

What do you think?

forgeyourDOTorg

2009-10-29T14:16:00.003-05:00

So, every designer or firm has a different way to give back to the community or be a visual advocate and over the summer I interned here at Forge. Forge has done pro-bono work before but this year they're starting Forge Your DOT Org which is a program where nonprofits can apply for a year of free design from Forge. This can be such a great opportunity for a nonprofit because more often than not, their design is lacking. I love this idea as an option for visual advocacy. I do love to work with people, but sometimes this is really what an organization needs to get on it's feet and get out there. And if an organization can get their word out there, they can get a lot more help for their cause.

Also, if you're interested in the work I did at Forge, go to the work section. I photographed a lot of their print pieces and packaging designs.

It was an amazing amazing experience to really learn how to photograph work in a professional setting. Other than that, I helped with navigation buttons on another project, copy edited and organized information for a website, designed a letterhead and envelope + business card for a small town near mine and helped with constructing some of their mockups. Along with that they gave me some great opportunities to see the printing process from choosing paper and then press check to recieving the final piece and sending it out. What a great experience.

multimedia experience

2009-10-28T00:07:00.000-05:00

I LOVE this website. The load page has movement so it seems like you're barely waiting and I love the room navigation when you get into the website. It's extremely fluid and interesting.. so instead of waiting for different things to load, you're navigating through different spaces to get to the loading things. It relates really well to what we're starting in multimedia because I thought about the experience and the navigation before the aesthetic. wonderful!

Thank you Magritte

2009-10-27T16:05:00.000-05:00

So, today I came across this

It's a famous painting by Magritte and I know I've probably always had it in the back of my mind but I didn't realize it. For my logo/brandmark, I'd like to appropriate parts of the image to create my rock with mountains. In the end it might be just the rock, but I am in no way neglecting the fact that it was originally Magritte's piece. I'm hoping that people who are familiar with the painting will recognize the connection, find it interesting in this context and be drawn in. I however will be making it into a logo, so the imagery and association with content will be completely different from the original context. Thoughts on this?

design systems: Odyssey Earth

2009-10-15T16:36:00.002-05:00

My branding idea is bittersweet. It's a really fun idea, with a lot of options for applications and has a lot of versitility; but making it look like it belongs all to the same brand is difficult. I want to keep the versitility-- through my research I've found a lot of theme parks have very little versitility. One logo, two colors. ON EVERYTHING.

With that in thought, I've developed some ideas of what would be consistent. Mostly it would be patterns, texture, typefaces and a logo with many different options. But there would be different applications on everything. This sounds scary, but for example: the "earth's core" section of the park would have a specific cut of the logo, a dirty application and archer as the typeface for all signage. The overall logotype would be used on most things and the name of the park would be included cleverly on all merchandise.

In a real world situation, this would be an identity system that could only be used by the designer.. and we all know that's pretty rare. So I'm taking advantage of it now!

conference: day one

2009-10-09T01:32:00.001-05:00

Today was the first official day of the conference. I didn't have to go in til 12, which is a stark change from tomorrow, where I have to be there at 7:15 am. I manned a door for 20 minutes and then I got to sit in on the student symposium. The speakers were well chosen and inspiring. There was a professor from Portland that was extremely inspiring. Her energy, happiness and passion were outstanding. She talked about nourishing your personal voice, committing to doing "out of the box" things, even if they're crazy and BEING HAPPY. crazy thought, eh?
also, check out dresscode. Incredibly awesome guys and they made it in a way that tiptoes around the usual undergraduate bull. Being happy played a big role in their success too. I found this to be a pattern today. Also, no one talked about their undergraduate work. funny eh? So important to us now, but what about the big picture? what happened to our time to learn?

The general session was surreal. I was manning a door right up front so I had a great view. Most of the talks were inspiring, all were entertaining and Sagmeister's was, well Sagmeister's. Command X was the most exciting part of the whole session--considering our very own Monina was competing. Their first assignment was to redesign the Graceland logo. All but two were very well done, in my opinion and Monina's was beautiful. She was the only one to include the actual house in the logo and when asked about it she answered all of the judges questions without pause. Great job Monina!

She's on to the next round and is probably hard at work right now! Their new assignment is to redesign:

There are five contestants left, and they have til tomorrow evening to finish their design. Should be interesting!

Oh, I also made off with a good amount of loot.

MX:some linear ideas

2009-10-08T01:04:00.001-05:00

hello again blog world

2009-10-08T00:17:00.000-05:00

I'm at Make/Think as an official volunteer (basically I'm just there if people need help) and everything starts up tomorrow. So far I've just learned the ropes, met some sponsors and made hundreds of goodie totes.

I have spoken to Monina who is competing in Command X, and I should see her tomorrow, possibly before the first round. So exciting! She knows we'll all be cheering her on. I'll update here as the competition progresses.

inspiration for our multimedia experience website

2009-09-24T14:40:00.001-05:00

(what not to do)

fighting zee crime

2009-09-13T15:55:00.000-05:00

Fighting crime is a big subject. Initially I asked myself how could I possibly make any impact; especially considering this is a design project. I've researched different studies about where crime starts, how to stop crime, how to prevent crime, what programs are already in place, etc. etc. etc. It's a LOT of information. And then I found a post from this blog http://thedaringshow.blogspot.com/. I'm not entirely sure the context, but it seems as though the blogger asked his/her radio show audience about their opinions on violence/war/life?--and these are the responses:

Suggestions from Beginning to End
1. We need to change our attitude about the children in general. They are not second class citizens and shouldn't be treated as such. They deserve to be heard and respected for their opinion. They need to be nurtured and they need to be dealt with on a consistent basis with a "tough love" mentality.

2. As a Christian congregation, we need to minister outside the church and focus on those that are questioning their self-worth. Those that feel they aren't worthy tend to attach themselves to those who prey on their feeling of worthlessness.

3. We need to stop complaining. That constant negative energy doesn't help your home or the people around you. That behavior breathes hatred and anxiety and a feeling of hopelessness. Action is the only avenue in which we can make our situation better.

4. Encourage our children but don't defile their efforts with belittling remarks when they don't perform or accomplish at 100%. Unlike the media who glorifies negative actions of a minority of youth we (The Reclaimers) have to highlight positive events, and achievements of our children within our family and community.

5. There are Sundays that you don't remember what the pastor's sermon was about. That's what happens when you are preached to and/or about, or you don't feel that the sermon is for you. Shut Down is all you can do. A child being preached to is the same way. So stop preaching and let them express themselves and correct inappropriate thinking.

6. Many times that violence outside the home stems from violence inside the home. One way to avert potential issues as this would be to be selective in a mate. Compatibility with children is as important and necessary for a healthy relationship as all the other standards you equate significant.

7. When was the last time you laughed and hung out with your kids? Teens can be a handful but do you know what they are talking about. Do you know who their friends are? How often do you have them over your house for a teen inspired function? Get the kids involved in activities that interest them and if presented right, you will be able to get them to do activities that you want them to do.

8. From a hard day at work, the least thing you want to do is be bothered with kids, talking and arguing etc (being kids) but the first thing you shouldn't do is paste them in front of the television. That is a cop-out. Send the kids outside to play, have them do some physical activity while you wind down. Matter of fact, tell them it's time to do their exercise regimen, and get out there with them. But if you chose to send them to the television then at least use the parental controls to monitor what they watch if you don't.

9. Volunteer your time at least once a week consistently for the betterment of kids and actually do something with them instead of just being there. Helping others will improve your attitude and will produce endorphins that will make you a happier person. If you feel that you don't have a talent then teach what you know. If you are a certified technician in anything, ask the local recreation facility if you can host a workshop for teens. In this economic time, learning a craft or trade would be very beneficial to the community.

10. Get to know your neighbors or at least something about them. I'm not saying invite them over for dinner, but get to name their names and speak when you see them. A block is harder to infiltrate when the perception is that everyone on the block is connected and may report illicit activity.

11. Consider getting a flood/spot light for your home with a motion sensor. Criminals are least likely to commit an offense in bright light when people can see them. Get a security system for your home. You will receive a discount for your homeowner's insurance but you will add another line of defense against intruders and potential violence.

12. If you see something tell it, don't sit on information that can be beneficial in stopping the crime in your neighborhood. If you are afraid of retaliation go to the police station and fill out a report. Befriend the police. Blocks that have a police presence usually have a lower crime rate as the criminals don't want to draw attention to themselves.

13. If you have a family member selling drugs, either using your home or on the street, report him or her. Don't give them a pass. Gun fire comes when one person is mad at another over money and drugs. Do you really want that kind of trouble in your home?

14. If you have a family member gang banging, it isn't totally your fault, but it is if you ignore it. When you look the other way at the actions of the youth, someone will become a victim to the idle-minded foolishness that they believe is truth. Do you want to die or do you want them to die? It will happen if you let them continue on that path of destruction. Report them also.

Our youth didn't get this way by chance. The example they were given was flawed. As a person we need to correct our behavior and then we can correct theirs. Accept and teach delayed gratification. Accept and teach respect for our investment (home, self, kids). Accept and teach responsibility for our actions and the repercussions.

We are at war in America with Americans and we need to assist others in the fight. If you constantly expect someone else to fight for you then you will always lose. Are you willing to die and face God knowing you didn't even try? How would you explain that to him?

I dare you to make a difference, and do something different.

now, not all directly relate to my topic, and there seems to be a slight conservative/religious undertone but these are suggestions from real people. Not studies, not statistics, not generalized surveys. Real people. I found quite a few inspiring so I thought I'd share. I'm getting closer to what kinds of questions I'd really like to ask. But it's hard to find a balance between what is idealized and what is possible. What works? Who makes the biggest impact? Can an outsider really make a difference?

storm chasing poster: draft uno

2009-09-10T18:11:00.001-05:00

cloud quotes

2009-09-02T10:49:00.000-05:00

"The clouds are our fluffy friends- except perhaps for one: the CUMULONIMBUS"

Community model diagrammm!

2009-09-02T07:55:00.001-05:00

For our model, we re-evaluated the terms and structure from Psychological Sense of Community to adapt to a more web-based and contemporary community. We felt that the reading made the community feel exclusive or "VIP". We wanted a community that anyone sharing a common interest could join. We took into consideration how much easier this is in a Web 2.0 era. Our model emphasizes the cycle of contribution and fulfillment that stems from a common interest within a community of people.

Common Interests (Membership)
Everyone in the community shares a connection because of interest in the subject matter. There's a greater chance to meet different people all over the world because there's no specific location and no initial judgement based on appearances, experience or age. The community is based solely around common interests. There is less of an emotional connection over the internet, and a greater sense of personal safety because you aren't facing anyone person to person.

Contribution
There is more of an opportunity to share a multitude of ideas with a lot of people. The ease of sharing documentation allows for a learning/teaching relationship within the community. You can invest yourself as an amateur or professional and not feel the boundaries that those titles may give you in real life. You can also instantly share results through technological equipment (computers, phones, etc.) Another benefit to an online community is its availability-- you can access and contribute to it anytime, anywhere.

Fulfillment
Information can be gained easily and quickly, which satisfies your purpose as a community member. By being active in the community you also gain recognition within the field and make connections with other people who share a common interest. (Depending on the rarity of your interest, this could be extremely beneficial). As a community member, you may change the field with new discoveries which would benefit the community as a whole. Lastly, there is an element of entertainment with videos, photography, and stories that you may not otherwise see in person.

fresh new look

2009-08-30T14:19:00.000-05:00

fresh new start and a fresh new look for my blog. I'm still working out the kinks.. like where is the date? and I'd like to move the comments below the post. But that will come with time. Until then, enjoy!

A look at the semi-final mailer

2009-04-28T13:41:00.000-05:00

here's how someone would receive the poster-mialer (sans the address sticker):

with the address sticker:

here is the outside unfolded:

final interior is coming soon...

too much poster italic?

2009-04-28T02:36:00.000-05:00

edit:here's an edited version of the opening page...

I'm considering taking the navigation words out of their boxes to push the "contents" page concept... maybe?

original version:

edit: edit of the extended version

original version:

when you scroll you get info on the conference and a weekly lecture bio...

here are the web banner ads.. the top one is supposed to be somewhat of a mystery. "reward my bookshelf with what?" Originally it said "reward yourself" but Laura pointed out that it was a little too mysterious. The lower right ad is supposed to be slightly more informative, giving info on what it is and where. Both would lead to the website above.

I don't know about this..

2009-04-13T02:54:00.001-05:00

I'm not entirely happy with this identity. I want to have some texture, minimal imagery and a lot of black and white with a lot of big typography.. But besides that, it's kind of up in the air.

Leeets be realistic

2009-04-11T20:38:00.000-05:00

Although I would love to do all of those artifacts... I didn't realize that with three weeks left, we'd have so little time to design them. So here's the edited list of artifacts:

invitations: to the keynote speaker and later to professionals and schools

posters: mailer that can be hung at conference

advertisement: website, banner, magazine ad

signage: nametags, wayfinding, and lecture signage

map/schedule: big an' little

fun shit: t-shirts and buttons

Type: artifacts

2009-04-07T21:05:00.000-05:00

I've come up with a list of artifacts that I'll be designing for Oh, Semantics: Type Con 2010!

Week 1

invitations to possible keynote speakers (because that's where it all starts, right?)

web banner/website home page that the banners leads to

poster-mailers

individual invitations

magazine ad

Week 2

name tags and name badges

info packet/folder

signage for tables, lectures, etc./wayfinding signage

big map/pocket-size map/schedule

catalogue of lectures/activities

Week 3

water bottle

goodie bag with notebook, t-shirt, button, pen and thankyou card

gala table name cards

refinements on EVERYTHING

2009-04-01T01:46:00.000-05:00

a web advertisement... up close.

and full view..

and another iteration...

type con: Ohhhhh Semantics

2009-03-31T22:17:00.000-05:00

Title/logo/typeface combos for my type conference.

Some possible typeface combinations:

and their applications...

Name tags! I'm having a lot of fun making these but I'm a liiittle worried about how they'll be applied to other artifacts. I'm going to attempt some applications tonight.

Ziba audience

2009-03-27T23:55:00.000-05:00

Oh god... here it goes.

2009-03-25T13:12:00.000-05:00

Possible titles:

semantic revival: expressive typography in the title and the text

oh, semantics: expressive typography in the title and the text

liberated semantics: expressive type in the details

semantic liberation: expressive typography in the big and little picture

liberated linguistics: ?

I'm not all that happy with this yet:

Expressive typography has deep roots in history. We can embrace it’s origins in italian futurism, dadaism and 20th century avant gard. During these periods, expressive typography fostered a move from traditional grammatical syntax to a spatial, image based syntax. but as designers in 2010 we use typography in a way that more deeply enriches the content and extensively benefits the viewer. Expressive typography has to add meaning and become visually poetry in a field that spans every medium; from signage to literature. In the 21st centry we need to bring this tactic back together with traditional semantics for content rich and successful design.

Info Arch: initial sketches

2009-03-24T23:45:00.000-05:00

These are some first attempts at the three layouts. I'll be adding more and refining them.

One

Two.. yuck

Three

Wuuurman and POV's

2009-03-24T14:22:00.001-05:00

The reading brought to light a lot of thoughts that have been swimming around the back of my mind. When I was reading the two education articles, I had my own opinions about what the designers were saying but I wasn't entirely sure how I formed those opinions or why I formed them. For my site, I plan on analyzing and comparing some.. but at the same time, Wurman brought up some good thoughts about how our points of view are formed and how they can't all necessarily be analyzed. For example, perception and memory are selective. I can (subconscious or not) "head off" undesirable information and form my own perception. So with this site, I can just do my best to share my perception and point of view of the two articles and support them with as much information possible.

Why did I choose the articles? Honestly, I chose the education articles without even looking. I've always been interested in education because of my background and environment. My mother teaches early childhood education and has shared her knowledge and philosophies about good and bad educational practices. This was an opportunity to dive back into an interest I've shared with her my whole life.

I go back and forth; agreeing and disagreeing with parts of each article. On the whole, I disagree with both.. Mostly because they seem like they believe that their way is the best way to teach design; and in reality, there is no best way to teach anything. Both articles have some good points and I think Scher has her heart in the right place. Salchow just seems angry at the world. In certain aspects the articles seem like they're on opposite ends of the spectrum; kind of like classical training vs. well, not classical training. Salchow seems like he wants to put design students on a design conveyer belt and then let them develop into grown up designers after they graduate while Scher wants little Paula Scher's running around.

I see a lot of very interesting possibilities within these comparisons. I'd like to go with a compare contrast and combine tactic. This way there'd be another concept combining the best parts of both articles.. possibly creating a mega-curriculum. We'll see. I also want to share my personal opinions in a separate design element. I know I don't have nearly the experience of either designer so I don't necessarily want to put my thoughts on their level but my perspective will be in the design and in that extra design element that calls out my opinion.

2009-03-09T04:08:00.000-05:00

Mug Lusterin' Love

2009-03-06T13:14:00.000-06:00

2009-03-02T10:34:00.000-06:00

2009-02-28T10:34:00.000-06:00

2009-02-24T17:41:00.000-06:00

three comps

2009-02-24T15:15:00.000-06:00

(I later fixed the shadows)

2009-02-22T16:18:00.000-06:00

Smaller title and navigation.

2009-02-22T15:57:00.000-06:00

I like this layout better. It gives me more options for different sections of information.

This was my first attempt at this sorting method. The paper cups would appear on rollover.

2009-02-20T10:44:00.001-06:00

info arch progress

2009-02-19T12:16:00.000-06:00

I need to figure out how to capture my cups better...

needs some work

2009-02-17T15:45:00.000-06:00

2009-02-16T10:33:00.000-06:00

2009-02-11T09:05:00.000-06:00

Typography and art and alla that

2009-02-04T00:03:00.000-06:00

I realized something while I was exploring decorative typography in class. I need to widen my research. I decided to widen it to designs that use words to make an image; whether it’s a recognizable image, an intense pattern or a single word that portrays an image. Broken down, the categories are: words as image, decorative typography, hand rendered typography, and expressive type. I’m really interested in typography that looks like an image from a distance but changes into words and letters when you get up close. I’ve noticed a pattern of faces (especially famous ones) for this category.
With the expressive type category I’ve noticed two kinds that stand out. One is the kind that we learned in Type 2: purely using the letterforms to create the words. I seem to be drawn to these because of the complexity of just using words; but I enjoy the other group because of the humor and ingenuity, along with the tendency to be eye candy. I see this group as one that expresses the type through background or materials. Is that still expressive type?
I want to explore every direction of each category. I’ve been looking at everything; from Stefan Sagmeister’s type that’s expressed through materials and environments to Cavan Huang’s explorations with motion based expressive type. I’ve found less about the history of these things and more about why these designers use these techniques. Huang wants to enhance the way we communicate and Sagmeister wants to “touch the heart of the viewer”. The different motivations behind each designer’s creation are what make them important. Christina Follmer used hand-stitched type on everyday objects to comment on everyday well-known situations while Marian Bantjes wants to bring delight and joy to the viewer.
These styles appear a lot in our current day culture because they’re really popular right now, but they each have a foot in history. Dada-ism is an influence, along with calligraphy, textiles, paper craft, etc. etc. And a lot of the time the history is apparent in the design.

Infooooo Architecture

2009-01-29T20:17:00.000-06:00

location: edit

location of the manufacturer.

alphabetically

arbitrary (cup one is A, cup two is B) etc.

by where it was made.

time

how long it's been in use (from the time it was first used, on)

television show opener

2008-11-13T18:38:00.000-06:00

I'm choosing to do a television show opener because of the nature of my activity. Data on paper art is minimal.. if not nonexisistant (in the context that I'm using). Aside from that, I want the challenge. I feel comfortable with data organization and presentation. I have several of those pieces in my portfolio already. but I have never made a show opener, nor have I had to organize information in the way that a show opener demands. I also want to take the opportunity to show my design style in a more detailed way. I feel like I haven't been able to push my style to the limit and this will give my portfolio a piece that specifically represents me. Most importantly though, I know the least about this kind of project and that leaves a lot more for me to learn.

There are several purposes to a show opener. The most important one is the introduction of content; whether it introduces a special on tigers, the characters in Friends, or paper art around the world, it demonstrates what you are going to be watching. Secondly, it draws the audience in and keeps them interested in 30 seconds or less. In this case, most of the time it's directed towards a specific audience. Sound, moving images and minimal text make this happen. The purpose of my show opener depends on the direction I go. If I do a show opener for a crane making competition, I'd want to show the contest, the rules and the contestants in action so that the audience knows what it is and it pulls them in. I would really like to keep the purpose light and fluffy, but documentary-like shows are a possibility.

There would be other relating shows before and after and really funny commercials.. because stupid commercials ruin the mood. It IS cable so there probably would be a logo and advertisement for a new show in the bottom right corner. Because of my content, it would be a daytime or early evening show. Depending on my specific direction it would show on TLC, HGTV, Bravo or local channels. My audience also watches project runway, what not to wear, the biggest loser, shear genius, documentaries and crafts coast to coast. I'm imaging women of all ages and families. If it goes towards the competition route, more men will be interested.

Project runway opening that introduces all of the people in the show:

make it work

oh blogger... well, here are some ideas recovered from my first attempted post.

paper dresses

dotted lines

folding continents

real world paper

cutting transitions

sound making process

2008-11-10T04:42:00.000-06:00

With the help of my classmates and a problem solving session with garrett it all clicked and I was able to give my viewer options for nonlinear story making (with video and music options) and linear story making with my words and imagery (a last minute addition) that can form sentences. With this I also wanted the viewer to be able to compare and contrast the imagery, sound effects and words within the system.

After conquering my sounds, I moved on to sketches of possible interactive Flash documents. I thought about having the viewer move the paper crane, paste bottle and scissors to have different resulting videos and sounds (these are the sketches below). But I wanted to push it further and presented the class with the idea of a matching/storymaking game with my animation stills. This I felt was still leaning towards ineffective so I pushed it to my final idea of words with sounds creating the sentences.. Then Garrett gave us the tutorial in flash and my ideas had to go on the backburner so that I could learn the tools to make my interactive. This was by far the hardest part for me and resulted in many failed files.

At the beginning of the project I worked with different sound files in garage band and audacity. I quickly found out that garage band isn't all that great for voice recordings. I think my biggest challenge though was my sound mark. I wanted to give the listener the sense of a page being picked up, folded, crumpled, turned etc. I found some online and tried all of them for myself. My first sound marks were unsuccessful because they sounded more like cards than paper. So I finally figured out an easy page turn sound for the final.

2008-11-05T07:47:00.000-06:00

2008-10-31T10:53:00.000-05:00

museumsss

2008-10-28T18:32:00.000-05:00

Photography in museums plays several different roles. It starts with curators viewing pictures of objects to include in the museum, or collecting the pictures themselves to be put on display. These photos can be of what exists and goes on exhibit or of what existed in the past. These objects or buildings that existed in the past can be the center of an exhibit making the photos the most important part or could be a side note. They are important for visitors because they can sometimes photograph the once in a lifetime exhibits. At the same time though these photos can be banned making the photograph play a much lesser role to the viewer. With this though, it isn't necessarily the museums banning photography. museums have less control of what artwork can be photographed because of copyright laws. I found that information in this article: http://musematic.net/?p=325. All of this supports the argument that photography is an important aspect for museums; whether it is for the use of the curator or the viewer, it plays a role.

When it comes to benefits of a museum the UK Museums Association best defines it saying "Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artifacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society." (http://www.museumsassociation.org/12913) Museums are universally beneficial to every culture in the way that they keep the most prized possessions safe. But at the same time, they put these prized possession on display for anyone to see and sometimes take those keepsakes out of the culture and in a different place. That's how in the United States we can see the possessions of Egyptian Kings that were most relevant to their tombs. But the debate is whether or not we should keep those objects in their tombs.

I think all of these things can support a dialectic about photography in museums, the historical relevance and the cultural enrichment of communities (among other things).

negative

2008-10-27T17:07:00.001-05:00

Stung by the Splendor of Sudden Black
Originally uploaded by Mark McCowen

Castles & Dreams 26 - Haunted Mansion 6
Originally uploaded by Ewciak & Leto

attempt of a safety by the tears at clouds crash land
Originally uploaded by Demis Courquet-Lesaulnier

Postcard output

2008-10-24T11:34:00.000-05:00

comm models: object postcard

2008-10-18T22:45:00.000-05:00

postcard iterations

2008-10-18T21:41:00.000-05:00

My first photo shoot attempt was supposed to give the tool set a looming quality and also give it the feeling of a starkly lit hospital room. This ominous aspect came too easy and wasn't really working the way I wanted.
so I started playing with lighting:

point of view/focus:

focus/shutter speed/camera movement:

and more framing/lighting:

Final animation

2008-10-13T09:28:00.000-05:00

Process for Semiotics

2008-10-11T20:57:00.000-05:00

Paste-ing process!

2008-10-08T17:24:00.000-05:00

final storyboard

New Direction for Visual Language

2008-09-30T16:34:00.000-05:00

Because of the specificity of my object I'm going to broaden it to tool sets in general. My audience is men that have had tool sets their entire life. I'm choosing to target men not because women don't use tools but because I want the challenge.

Here is some new imagery that relates to my audience:

2008-09-26T13:51:00.001-05:00

Possible routes:

vintage tool sets

vintage toy sets

DIY through the ages (father and son)

paste-ing type

2008-09-26T04:07:00.000-05:00

Paste

smear

glob

adhere

gradients

2008-09-24T12:43:00.000-05:00

more symbolsmore indexes

paper type

2008-09-24T03:57:00.000-05:00

Final choices:

Paste-smear, glob, adhere

Scissors- snip, cut, fringe

Paste

smear

glob

adhere

drip

apply

spill

Scissors

clip

snip

cut

chunk

fringe

chop

slip

Paper

fold

crease

crinkle

cut

fall

Handy Andy

2008-09-23T16:59:00.000-05:00

My exhibit is for nostalgic adults who had this toy as kids. They were introduced to Handy Andy's tool set through TV ads, magazine ads, and their peers. Handy Andy also has been the star of a novel movies during different periods of time. The Handy Andy kits were in production starting in the 1950's and up to the 1970's but tool and building kits of different sorts are still produced today.

As adults my audience is interested in it because it was a part of their childhood. It has to do with what young children love- building and creating. The set was also interesting to them at that time because it is a "grown up's job", but in child size and proportion. As a kid it made them feel grown up and as an adult it makes them feel like a kid again. That "the grass is greener" effect along with that nostalgia is what would bring my audience to see this exhibit.

final

2008-09-19T20:48:00.000-05:00

process

2008-09-19T12:19:00.000-05:00

Crit with Monina

2008-09-19T04:27:00.000-05:00

Monina's critique helped me solve many of the problems I was having with type placement, composition and image quality. She looked at my work after my second attempt at the guitar poster and after comparing it with the original she helped me see that the composition of the type and the overall impact was stronger on the original poster but the image quality was stronger in the redo so we decided another redo was necessary. The combination helped bring back that impact but increased the strength of the typography. The end result also was of much higher image quality and had better lighting. With my second poster, it also had some image quality issues along with composition and type placement. Type placement was the hardest problem for me. Monina helped me narrow down the important aspects that I was trying to say with pure typographic placement. Also she helped me settle on a different typeface that was more cohesive with the final image I chose. The end result was a lot more successful.

process

2008-09-19T02:48:00.001-05:00

On the topic of lateral thinking...

2008-09-01T13:43:00.000-05:00

Over the summer, during my class with Spurse I learned a new way of thinking/ideating. We used a process of Use: what the artifact does (without giving any notice to appearance), Pattern: what the artifact looks like (without any notice to it's use.) and Connections: a tie between the two without knowing what either are. This is the tricky part. I'm creating my "mind map" and will show an example that should clear things up. I wanted to share this process because of how it gives you a new perspective.

Voting posters continued

2008-09-01T12:58:00.001-05:00

I have decided that I would like to focus more on mexican american voters. This may be for one poster while the other is more broadly hispanic focused. I did find this image:

It's a semi-famous poster about the Venezuelan president saying "lets vote, it's the only way to shut up Chavez" and it could be used for parody or even anti-thesis considering his mouth is censored and voting is all about getting out your opinion. I would use it toward my broader hispanic poster. The only problem I'm having is feeling like I don't know what I'd be using- is this a poster made by an anti-civil rights group? Why does Chavez need to be shut up? So much to do...

Hispanic American voters

2008-08-28T14:40:00.000-05:00

1. what are some predominately shared values of this group? (broadly in life, not politics)
Community, family, groups and social harmony, conservative values, native language

2. what political policies/issues are particularly important to this demographic in this election? why?
Abortion, gay marriage, taxes and education are particularly important to hispanic americans. According to 2005 statistics, 77% oppose abortion, 62% oppose gay marriage, and 48% think that lowering taxes would be the most helpful for the government. Illegal immigration is also a big issue along with the war in Iraq and other Bush administration headed issues. Affordable quality education,

wikipedia.com

http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/05/conservative_republican_values.html

3. are there any cultural references your demographic identifies with? what?

Bright colors (relating to mexican culture) and bright decor is one reference to hispanic american culture. Decoration in general is important in hispanic american culture. Another reference would be the salsa, latin, hispanic music ranging from Selena to Ricky Martin to Santana. Family and closeness is valued highly in hispanic american culture. Carlos Mancia, soccer.

4. what does their graphic landscape look like? (this is sometimes called a "visual audit") put another way, assemble a range of designed artifacts that are targeted toward this group - packages, posters, companies, logos, publications, etc.

Univision, Telemundo, Vida Latina, etc. A lot more companies like Nissan and Radioshack are making more ads directed towards hispanic culture, spanish architecture, aztec and myan. hand made intricate rugs, crafts, etc. bratz,

5. including the aiga document and other sources, what are the issues cited for this group not voting?
Citizenship and residency requirements, voter registration problems, illness, not interested, and didn't like the candidates.

http://www.america.gov/st/washfile-english/2007/October/20071011113828esnamfuak0.9106256.html

http://www.ipsos-ideas.com/article.cfm?id=2673

narrative in sounds and motion

2008-08-25T19:36:00.000-05:00

I've finally got it. You're right Tyler-- theatre would be stretching it. So I'm going to do paper art. This would involve things like origami as well as sculptural paper art pieces and as simple as folding a note. Is this too broad?

My first two actions are folding a crane and cutting a paper snowflake

Process

2008-05-10T01:56:00.000-05:00

This project was probably the most successful- especially process wise. I fulfilled all the process goals and ended with a good result. My process went like such:

1. brainstorm ideas (webs, lists, discussion)

2. three topics (two and then one branching into two)

3. visual exploration

4. visual/concept choice (icons fears- getting lost)

5. continued visual exploration and mock-ups

6. creating compositions for each photo- there were approximately 18 compositions for each icon's photo, each having a different cropping. then I narrowed it down to five or six and then chose a final one from there.

7. after deciding on the composition I added icon and words. This is about the time that I decided on a story about how each icon got lost.

8. I continued photo editing to keep the color and crop similar enough that my set was cohesive.

9. lots and lots of revisions... moving the icon, changing the color, flipping photo, word choices.

10. my last revisions had much to do with word size and placement. This was the most challenging for me. Finding the right color/size for legibility was difficult, but I think I found it.

11. and last but not least the flash transitions. I waited a little too long to do this part so I had to learn very quickly. But with the help of my peers, I figured out a smooth transition and also solved the bizarre white flash when the animation loops. I am not sure how to document this because the transitions are such a simple fade. I just adjusted the timing so that it was long enough to read the words in the story. After critique today I believe that I am going to pause the icons longer and also have a beginning placard simply stating the title.

2008-05-08T15:30:00.000-05:00

2008-05-02T08:18:00.000-05:00

New compositions

2008-05-01T00:51:00.000-05:00

five possible photographic composition (before the icon). Which one's best?

Also, I'm considering, printing the compositions on photo paper, writing the words directly on and then photographing that as if it is a photo from a vacation... We'll see how that goes.

image experiments

2008-04-30T14:28:00.000-05:00

These are some quick cropping/image and icon combos... just experiments for now. I'm going to work on the cropping and color. I'd like all three to have a similar coloring- perhaps like the moped image's color.

2008-04-30T14:00:00.000-05:00

some sketches from the elaboration of 3 ideas phase. They were: beverages that relate to the icon based on the emotion they evoke (wine+romance=eiffel tower keychain), emotions while traveling (with two images- one printed over another), and travel items worst fears (or traveler's worst fear- lost suitcase, toothpaste explosion, forgotten souvenirs).

formal inspiration....

rough mockup of the emotion/double image idea based the the inspiration found above.

This is the direction I am choosing to go. It started as each icon's fear and got narrowed down to each icon being lost in transit. I am going to put the icon into the image digitally but write directly onto the picture after I print it. Then I'll scan it in and size the file to the correct specifications.

Brainstorming

2008-04-24T12:53:00.000-05:00

Travel items can be SO boring and repetitive... I kept brainstorming about these items simply as travel items. So I had to take a new angle. I was thinking about Sagmeister's speech and decided to put these "travel" items in new contexts... what if the person wasn't traveling for fun.. what if the person was traveling to a new home to escape? and then I thought more about escaping. What if the items in the suitcase belonged to someone trying to escape the government? What if that person was a fugitive?

Also what if these items weren't simply for travel? Or how would the suitcase see them? The shape, size, texture smell.... etc?

Infographing Processing

2008-04-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

In my hand drawn stages, I thoroughly planned out my travel time line so in the computer I started by compiling images- I found the images online or in my own gallery and individually photoshopped each item and then put them in one document that I opened in Illustrator. In illustrator, I was able to move them easier and I was able to work on the background and timeline itself.

I posted a similar, more confusing version of this for crit and found out I had a lot of problems. It wasn't finished, but the development and clarity wasn't going down the right path. Also, I needed to have a reason for the different heights of things. So I started changing the heights of items based on the peaks of hospitality, air travel and tourism. I also realized that color images would overpower my time line so (like the inspiring website Jamie showed me) I started changing the images to black and white.

I then completed the digital time line that would go over the imagery. I used the colors that I originally used in my hand drawn time line.

This is the first final version with both components. The colors were too childish and didn't relate to my magazine spread or to my icons so I went back into my color palettes in my semiotic scrapbook. I used them in the background, the time line and the effect on the imagery.

Infographing Inspiration

2008-04-13T19:22:00.000-05:00

inspiration- the collaging and black&white/color contrast.

2008-04-05T17:32:00.001-05:00

I've collected a few facts about all of my icons and set them up on a timeline. I included one main fact and then a couple branching off. But now I'm wondering if I should just have those few facts about the icons intertwining above OR have the timeline include all kinds of facts about travel and tourism. The icons would sit on the timeline giving them hierarchy and then the other information would branch off of the icon or the line but would not actually sit on it. They could even branch from whichever icon they related to most. I've gathered information for both routes. Which direction should I go?

Research

2008-03-30T21:15:00.000-05:00

Step 1:
Time
-changes in price over time
-when they were created
-timeline of change from creation to now
ex. toiletries in 1920, 1970 and today
an elaboration of this: interesting facts of the items from creation to now.

Location
-where they can be obtained
ex. hotel robe- hotel, manufacturer, online
-vacation spot where it is most needed
-best place in suitcase

Comparison
- price now
- ease of buying
-level of sturdiness during travel
-likeliness of damage
-necessity
ex. on a list of 1-10 toiletries are #2

Step 2: Time related research
Toiletries: Crest toothpaste in California in 1970 was 77 cents.
Hotel Robe: The Sheraton chain put robes in executive rooms in the 1970's and guests mistook them for gifts.
Camera: Edwin Land markets the Polaroid, which became handy for travel.
Suitcase: On March 8, 1994, Don Ku was granted a patent for wheeled suitcase with a collapsible towing handle.
Eiffel Tower Souvenir: In 2007 France's Black Block had souvenirs like a Sigmund Freud action figure instead of Eiffel Tower Souvenirs.
Currency: On March 10, 1862 the first United States paper money was issued. The denominations were $5, $10, and $20.

Step 3:
Toiletries: 1920's and 1960's shampoo ads

Hotel Robes: "For years, robes were only standard in the swankiest suites. When the Sheraton chain first put robes in the rooms on its executive floors in the 1970s, many guests mistook them for gifts and took them home. But as other hotels began to follow suit (adding those now-familiar cards warning guests that they'll be charged for missing robes), customers began to expect in-room robes as part of the luxury experience. Now, most hotels are stocking rooms on every price level with two robes instead of one, to save housekeeping staff extra trips and to lure more guests to new, multimillion-dollar spas." WSJ online.
Camera: "An instant camera is a type of camera with self-developing film. The most famous are those made by the Polaroid Corporation. Polaroid no longer manufactures such cameras. The invention of modern instant cameras is generally credited to American scientist Edwin Land, who unveiled the first commercial instant camera, the Land Camera, in 1947, 10 years after founding the Polaroid Corporation." wikipedia.com
Suitcase: Luggage has changed over time. Historically the most common types of luggage were chests or trunks made of wood or other heavy materials. These would be shipped by professional movers. Since the Second World War smaller and more lightweight suitcases and bags that can be carried by an individual have become the main form of luggage. wikipedia.com
Souvenir: American Indian souvenirs first became along route 66 in the 1880's with the rise of railroad tourism. The flow of visitors increased dramatically, however, with the advent of automobile tourism in the late 1920's. Indian artists responded by creating new art forms and variations on traditional crafts. A necklace from Santo Domingo Pueblo, for example, contains bits of black battery casings and red phonograph records in lieu of jet and coral, precious materials that would have made the jewelry too costly for the automobile tourist, who was typically less affluent than the railroad traveler. nytimes.com
Currency:ERMA was first demonstrated to the public in 1955 (September), and first tested on real banking accounts in the fall of 1956. Production models (ERMA Mark II) of the ERMA computer were built by General Electric. Thirty-two units were delivered to the Bank of America in 1959 for full-time use as the bank's accounting computer and check handling system. ERMA computers were used into the 1970s. about.com

Final Icons!

2008-03-28T16:47:00.000-05:00

Frivolous Necessity

2008-03-28T16:19:00.000-05:00

Palette

This is the palette I pulled my final colors from. I adjusted them a tad for contrast and vibrancy.

connotations
leisure
parcels
vacation
travel
tourism
flying
carry-on
enjoyment
relaxed
compact
mini
temporary
frivolity
necessity

Specifically for formal elements
friendly (after many attempts)
fun
relaxing
simple
enclosed

Statement

Final color attempt 2

2008-03-25T15:49:00.001-05:00

final color 1

2008-03-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

Icon edits

2008-03-23T19:01:00.001-05:00

I edited all the icons; but especially the money sign on the wallet, the toothpaste swirl and the hanger on the robe.

Color icons 1

2008-03-22T19:01:00.000-05:00

color icon process

2008-03-15T02:12:00.000-05:00

Final Icons

2008-03-10T10:25:00.000-05:00

new wallet

2008-03-09T20:43:00.001-05:00