Thursday, March 27, 2008

_project statement

For me, this project was an in-depth study of an idea's simplification and refinement. Though in the initial stages I worked with detailed drawings of the sushi, I learned to refine the idea at hand, taking away any superfluous elements for a more visually compelling icon set.
Scaling the icons was an interesting challenge as well - for it forced me to consider how I could make my chosen visual language work at different sizes. The application of color made me look at my icons again from a different angle - for as designers, we all will have to grapple with a multitude of different parameters. I often thought of the entire process as an algebraic inequality.
For example, let's say A is the icon refinement, B is the scale, and C is the color. I would often ask myself, if parts of A and C were modified, how would that affect B? (Or vice versa.)
Thus by having to contend with issues such as visual languages, scaling and color application, I pushed my own understanding of communication visually.

Monday, March 24, 2008

_icon naming?

When it comes to naming a piece of art or essay I may have made or written, I often use one of the following methods:

  • Method A: Select a word that I feel is most strongly associated with the piece, look up a synonym for it in a thesaurus. (i.e. if the word selected was "shadow", I might call something "penumbra.")
  • Method B: Flip through a book or text, place finger on random words. (i.e. I flipped through a medical textbook when looking for a title for an essay about Artemisia Genticleschi. I came upon the word "catharsis", and came up with "Catharsis of Sufferance."
  • Method C: Ask someone else what they would call the piece. You would be surprised at some of the responses received.
  • Method D: State what is presented. (i.e. "Still Life with Charcoal.") Note: This typically only results in mundane titles, and I only use it if nothing else works.

I thus proceeded to apply all four methods to naming my icons set. Unfortunately, they all produced more or less lackluster results.


Method A Results:


I also tried the thesaurus widget on my computer, but all it told me that sushi was a noun (duh), and what different types there were.


Method B Results:

Book: "Asian Cooking" - Helen Aitken
  • Wok
  • Hokkien
  • Tablespoon

Book: "Rakkety Tam" - Brian Jacques
  • Bulrush
  • Tree
  • Wind

Book: "The Cheese Monkeys" - Chip Kidd
  • Soured
  • Face
  • Mouth

Method C Results:

Question: "Hey you! What the fuck would you call this?"

  • "...sushi?"
  • "sushi."
  • "food."
  • "A poor, monochrome representation of the colorful culinary delight that is sushi."
  • "Your lunch?"
  • "Why didn't you share?"
  • "...art??"
...ouch.


Method D Results:

  • Sushi.
  • Food.
  • Soy Sauce.
  • Sake
  • Wasabi on plate?


Conclusion(s): These methods don't really work in regards to naming icons.


Instead, I just jotted down some random words and phrases that came to mind with sushi:

  • Zushi - Transliteration of the word from Japanese
  • Sushi A Go-Go
  • Goes best with soy sauce
  • "A poor, monochrome representation of the colorful culinary delight that is sushi."
  • YOU CAN'T EAT THESE
  • Delicious Coma
  • Kakoii - "cool"
  • No refrigeration necessary.
  • Digital feast. (lame)
  • iSushi.
  • KANPAI! ("cheers!")
  • Icons from the Sushi Bar
  • Eat me.
  • Sushi Culture
  • Raw Fish and Seaweed Culture

Friday, March 21, 2008

_vector art



Some vector art done over break.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Thursday, March 6, 2008

_connotative attributes

  • Culture
  • Health
  • Convenience
  • Food
  • Japan
  • Asian

Sunday, March 2, 2008

vis comm:: interim icons


Work in progress of my 10 icons - not quite sure yet of the grouping as a whole.

(L-R)
1.) Chopsticks
2.) Temari
3.) Nigiri
4.) Maki
5.) Teacup
6.) Temaki
7.) Sake
8.) Soy Sauce
9.) Oshi
10.) Wasabi

Currently, I'm having the most problems with my wasabi icon - it's definitely one of the hardest of items to represent. I played around with it's form for quite a while - and added a plate to give it more weight/size in regards to the others.
Additionally, though I like the teacup icon as an individual piece, I have some doubts about it against the rest of the grouping - does it seem too redundant since I already have another beverage (sake) in there?