3-22-08

http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=cq6ffpkj28

3-20-08

3-19-08

the evolution of video games and their graphics :

3-18-08

http://www.baekdal.com/design/Cool-Objects/napkin-pc/

this is an amazing concept that i stumbled upon. i'm not quite sure if it could really work. because napkin ideas are usually completley spontaneous, so that would mean that you would have to carry around these napkins and markers where ever you went.

but i don't know. maybe it's the future of spontaneous ideas. we'll see wat happens...

3-15-08

stumble.
DEMYSTIFYING FORM AND FUNCTION:


This is at the very heart of every good design, but what is it, and why do we need to remember it? As the rule suggests, this rule comes in 2 parts. What makes up the concept and who is going to see it? I can see that was clear as mud to some of you, so I will clarify.

Form is the use of elements to create your design. It is the individual pieces of the puzzle, so to speak. This may consist of a logo or trademark, information or message, and usually contact information. It may also include illustrations or photos to create more interest. This information is usually gathered when interviewing the client.

Asking Questions

By asking in-depth questions, the designer can get a feel for the FUNCTION of the project. Defining what purpose is to be served will shape and define the look and feel of your finished product. However, asking questions can be intimidating to someone new in the field. Sometimes, not knowing what to ask can lead us to not asking at all. This will invariably come back to haunt you, so go ahead and ask. The clients expect it and you really need to know.

What to Ask

The next logical step is to decide what to ask. How do you find out exactly what the form and function of a piece is? I have listed a few suggestions below to help get you started. Always, write your questions down before you meet with the client. Always take the questions with you, and always get answers to all your questions. Write the answers down for future reference. No one can remember everything and then if there is any misconception, you can refer to your notes for clarification.

Who is the target audience?

Are you sending a message to teenagers or senior citizens? This could also include age and location demographics, income as well as gender specific information.

Are they promoting a tangible product or a new concept?

*Are they selling widgets or the newest idea to create them?

What is the message?

*Are you promoting public awareness? “Did you know this could do that?”

Are there specific elements the client will require?

*Does the logo use specific colors or fonts? Do they require specific illustrations or photos to be included? Do they supply high resolution images for you to use, or do you need to find something?

What is the client’s budget for this project?

* This does not mean to find out how much the client is willing to spend and take it. This means finding out what monetary guidelines this client needs to stay within for repeat business. This will also give you insight into whether the project is simple or complex, Black & White or Color, as well as the quantity needed. Do they need 10 or 10,000? Do they need 4-Color Process or laser prints?

What are their distribution needs?

Are they going to mail it out, hand it out or let it sit on a desk? Is postage an issue? Free templates are available at the Post Office for size requirements and restrictions. Based on those measurements, postage can be calculated.

What is the anticipated reaction of the piece?

*Does the client want something mailed back in or do they expect it to be thrown away? Are they looking for an emotional response like Anger or Happiness? (Pay attention if it is an emotional response and use colors that correspond)

How soon is it needed?

*Do you have a month or a week to complete this project? What are the client expectations as far as timeframes?

Now that you have done the leg work to make sure that the function of your graphic design project is correct, you can get right into the fun part - the form (in other words the visual graphic design aspect of the project). This is when you get to use your knowledge of the principles of graphic design to create a breath-taking layout for your customer. What are you waiting for??!! Go use your knowledge of form and function to create some amazing graphic design projects!!!!

3-14-08

so another stumbling session. Most of what i get is related to design, or creativity or something along those lines in some way. so this was something i got. 100 ideas to boost your creativity and or stimulate creative ideas. a lot of the things i've done, or now going to do because not only would they help with creativity, but would also be enjoyable on it's own. here is the link to the list:


http://www.kerismith.com/funstuff/100ideas.htm

3-12-08

one of my new favorite pictures that I stumbled.
titled . rebellious seagull.

3-11-08

HELVETICA :

About the Typeface

Helvetica was developed by Max Miedinger with Eduard Hoffmann in 1957 for the Haas Type Foundry in Münchenstein, Switzerland. In the late 1950s, the European design world saw a revival of older sans-serif typefaces such as the German face Akzidenz Grotesk. Haas' director Hoffmann commissioned Miedinger, a former employee and freelance designer, to draw an updated sans-serif typeface to add to their line. The result was called Neue Haas Grotesk, but its name was later changed to Helvetica, derived from Helvetia, the Latin name for Switzerland, when Haas' German parent companies Stempel and Linotype began marketing the font internationally in 1961.

Introduced amidst a wave of popularity of Swiss design, and fueled by advertising agencies selling this new design style to their clients, Helvetica quickly appeared in corporate logos, signage for transportation systems, fine art prints, and myriad other uses worldwide. Inclusion of the font in home computer systems such as the Apple Macintosh in 1984 only further cemented its ubiquity.

i thoroughly enjoyed this film. It's amazing to see how much helvetica is actually out there. A font so typically seen like interstate, it's just recognized as a basic font; yet, when you really look at the font itself, it's designed so beautifully. Helvetica is one of my most used fonts as well. One part I found particulary interesting was the renowned designers within the movie and the interviews of each one discussing how they come to their final decision of the font choice for that particular design solution. This is definitely a valuable asset to a designer's collection of research and material on being a successful designer. Something that you can easily look back on and reference either the font itself, or the several designers that share their views and principles of successful design.

note.this is strange. I was going to publish this post in helvetica, and it's not an available font?

3-8-08

inspiration in another form. something else I care about, and want to make a difference in, is helping the planet. As we can all see gas prices are going up; and it's effecting everyone. basically what everyone needs to start doing is conserving their energy. turn off lights and appliances when you're not using them. just doing small things like that in a group effort can make a big difference.

here is just a sight I stumbled that informs you of 34 ways to save money at the gas pump.

http://www.ecospace.cc/transport/gas-saving-tips-0108.htm

3-6-08

read: meaning by John Rheinfrank and Katherine Welker (find copy in the 200A lab
and also read: rethinking modernism, revising functionalism

We know, intuitively, that our personal struggle with idealism and pragmatism is affected by the values we bring to our work and the context in which we create it. The uncertainty of values in contemporary graphic design practice and the discourse that surrounds it now (and probably will through the '90s), has led to a notion that there has been a loss of consensus as to what constitutes 'good' design.
by Katherine McCoy


When I think of the undercurrents that shape my graphic design, I think of ideas about language and form. Ideas about coding and reading visual form, about challenging the viewer to construct individual interpretations, about layers of form and layers of meaning. These are at the forefront of my mind, but behind that lie other deeper and older concerns that go back to my earliest years of design. Perhaps these are what could be called a philosophy or an ethic, a personal set of values and criteria, a thread that winds through the lifetime of work and sustains its rigor, the continuity in the cycles of change.

3-6-08

before I started the required journal entry, I wanted to stumble a little bit. And I'm glad I did, because I just found the most reliable source in creating very interesting type solutions in almost any form. plastic text, liquid text, chrome, gold, and even spiderman text...

http://www.designwalker.com/2008/01/text-effect.html

3-4-08

3-2-08

PRINT:

a page on the changethethought website with some very interesting poster design. I loved in particular the imagery and colors used.

http://www.changethethought.com/work/print/

2-29-08

http://www.yankodesign.com/

I don't know if these are just designs for products and not actually made, but after stumbling this website, I have a new found interest in industrial design.

2-28-08

http://inspiredology.com/graphic-design/typography/

very inspiring type posters. love all of them!

2-26-08

just another simple little stumble. I took this personality test that is 41 questions long. and the reason why I'm posting it is because the end result of what my personality "is," was pretty spot on. not to mention it said the jobs most cut-out for me are artist or designer. so that was good to see I guess....

http://www.41q.com/index.41q?a=1

2-23-08 continued...

attend: Chip Kidd lecture in Kansas City on Feb 26 or. More info to come. If can’t go please...
listen to: Chip Kidd and Debbie Millman on "Design Matters" on the school sever | find out more about Design Matters | all archived shows are on the school sever. or subscribe yourself on iTunes Podcast.

More about Chip: Chip Kidd: chip kidd on youtube | examples | Q&A on smithsonian

my response:

chip wants to design book covers with a broad view that when someone saw the book in the store and want to lean more about the book. there is no one pivotal moment that changed everything, it was an accumulation. I liked his front door and how he has this cutout shape of his head and 2 circles for his glasses and he basically said, when people walk into his apartment, he wants them to enter through his head. and see what he is thinking about all the time based on his decoration and collections of designs and posters...

"i think the next step for graphic designers is to figure out how to meaningfully generate their own content."

2-23-08

Another great tutorial that will teach you how to create water droplets on any surface:

http://www.vecpix.com/tutorials/photoshop/ps018.php

2-22-08

So I was stumbling some more before going to bed, and found the most AMAZING wall art animation I have ever seen. I don't even want to know how long this took!

http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1777187

2-21-08

Futurists at the Spencer Museum: El Lissitzky: Futurist Portfolios and Reframing Society: Russian Constructivist Photography. Go to the Spencer Museum and visit the exhibitions in the north and south balcony's : February 2 – May 18, 2008 : check museum hours

http://www.spencerart.ku.edu/exhibitions/lissitzky.shtml

As I continued through the gallery looking at Lissitzky's work, I began to like it more and more. I usually don't like abstract work like that, but the use of shapes, color, and composition were very intriguing.

http://www.spencerart.ku.edu/exhibitions/constructivist.shtml

LOVED this photography. very amazing detail and emotion within these photos.

2-20-08

amazing! type solutions here. all well done and very effective. very inspiring as well for me...

http://inspiredology.com/graphic-design/typography/

2-19-08

so i stumbled this amazing font creation site. basically you can edit and design your own fonts easily online. I didn't look into it much deeply, but from what I saw on the homepage, you can go pretty in depth with your own font design.

(you can also download other fonts made on the site as well.)

http://fontstruct.fontshop.com/

2-18-08

here are some funny photoshop disasters. check your work before it's all done. then check it again.


http://abduzeedo.com/photoshop-disasters

2-17-08

everytime I stumble, I come across more photoshop tutorials. I don't know how many I've blogged by now, but you can never have enough cool tutorials teaching you things that can take your work to the next level...

http://www.photoshoplady.com/