she!la wong

city 17 final

2010-08-11T08:46:00.000-07:00

CITY17::topics in aesthetics from Sheila Wong on Vimeo.

Now featured on MotionServed!

city 17:: conceptualizing

2010-07-14T21:12:00.000-07:00

First round for my current project, "city 17."

dp::motion tests

2010-03-24T18:30:00.000-07:00

Untagged - test1 from Sheila Wong on Vimeo.

Initial motion test. Still needs a lot of revising, but the idea of the elements 'growing' from each other is something I'd like to keep working with.

dp::refining, iterating

2010-03-22T11:41:00.000-07:00

I've been working on a 'tagging' system which uses a common toolset, but presents a distinct difference between when users tag themselves versus tagging brands. For the self tagging, I worked with a circular arrangement of words.

When tagging brands, the tag clouds are presented in a more modular arrangement. Here, inputed words brand off from one another, depending on the connotation of the word itself.

Additionally, a motion graphics element is something I'm looking to incorporate into this project as well. Some sketches on possibly compositions and layouts. I also think I need some other typeface than just simply Serifa.

dp::mid semester summation

2010-03-10T01:28:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of this project, I originally was looking into how we could encourage creativity among high school students. But once I began interviewing and taking surveys of my demographic, I soon realized that the research question needed to be severely refined. Of the eventual forty-five students I spoke and/or surveyed, a startling amount of them had a similar dependancy on brand names.

When asked to define themselves, or what they saw as "identity," a large percentage of the students often brought up name brand items and clothing. But when asked why, they couldn't give any definitive answers.

It was at this point that I began to realize that we cannot encourage creativity unless we first understand what stymies it. And thus I began to do research about brand literacy, or the understanding of how messages are analyzed, evaluated and created. As a designer, I've worked in projects where the objective was to create a brand as well, ones where I've had to carefully consider the kinds of qualities and information I was sending to the audience.

I ran into no shortage of dead ends through different prototypes and experiments, but each iteration left me with different things I would need to consider later on. For a while I focused on the idea of a quiz/game where one could input information about themselves, and it would generate an infographic of sorts for them to keep. But while this idea could possibly motivate students to try it, it lacked dimension and an incentive for longer-term involvement.

For the past few days, I've been building a web-based community that I've dubbed, Untagged. (I'm still open for better names) Untagged seeks to educate its users about the variety of messages that brand names seek to convey to consumers.

One of the two main features is the "tagging" system. Basically, you are presented with a brand name and/or logo, and can tag it with words and adjectives of how you perceive the brand. I'll be continuing with this direction in the coming weeks - but I'm very optimistic about the possibilities that Untagged could have.

spatial exp::kc auto show

2010-03-08T06:50:00.000-08:00

01 - practical signage.

02 - Are rainbows poetic?

03 - I suppose nothing is more persuasive to their target demographic than a woman talking about a nice car. Well, she was definitely more persuasive than the majority of the car dealers.

For me, this was by far the most persuasive element. I'd buy a car if it came with that dress.

pro practice::finished portfolio site

2010-03-05T11:46:00.000-08:00

sheila-wong.com

My finished web portfolio. Still need to finesse the layout of the portfolio elements.

pro practice::portfolio website

2010-02-25T12:29:00.000-08:00

Got all the code up and running, just need to drop in the portfolio pieces now.

A very close version of the wireframe I made in Multimedia Experience, except some of the navigational elements were moved around, and I changed the sorting method from years to media type.

dp::small group notes

2010-02-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

User Incentives:

Personalized space
comparison to others
new content / updates
what is important
connect to similar people
matching users? potential friends
home profile page
sharing facts
what they can do to grow
pair brand literate with someone who isn't
embrace what they like
encourage dialogue between opposites.

Personality Test Drive / Mentality

Subjective validation
Narcissistic personality inventory
Most personality quizzes are only roughly 50% accurate.
Many users don't answer honestly; fear of a negative 'score.'
Popular at end of the year (New Year's resolutions?)

Quiz/Test Motivations:

Self interest / Self discovery
How can they fix what's wrong with them?
How can they get along better with people?
Entertainment
Comparison

mousepath::day 003

2010-02-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

Day 03: Pro Practice, Degree Project

Some more workin' in Illustrator today. About ten minutes after I started the app.

Progression throughout the day. Did a number of small group critiques today, hence the denser collection of dots.
Apparently the application I click most often on my dock is iTunes. Hmm.

adobe photoshop COOK ::find+share

2010-02-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

Adobe Photoshop Cook from Lait Noir on Vimeo.

What if Photoshop could be used to cook? An awesome stop-motion video of cookies being made in Photoshop.

dp::initial icon sketches + interactivity wires

2010-02-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

Critique Notes:

What keeps the user(s) interested?
What could make it more than a one-time experience?
Longer life span?
Working towards something else?
Educated the users, now what?
Is there a call to action?
SO WHAT? and LONGEVITY
Encourage change and commitment
Brand literacy

Interface/User Experience Notes:

Develop visual indicators
Size of circle = priority
Play up interactions
Immediate user feedback
Make it interesting/fun to fill out
Shows off users' skills?
Different iterations
Toggle between self, friends and others
Sorting

Other Considerations

Facebook/Myspace quizzes
WHY do they take these quizzes?
Self interest
More visual
IQ Tests
Self discovery?
Iterate, innovate

mousepath::day 002

2010-02-22T06:48:00.000-08:00

Day 02 - Spatial Experience, Degree project

8:49am

Progression throughout the day:

Do I really rest my mouse that much? And here I thought I was constantly in motion.

dp::a visual prototype

2010-02-17T11:16:00.000-08:00

Interactive model, used information from surveys I distributed to my target audience.

See online version.

Some notes from critique:

Revise:

Research question
ICONS

Where do I want to be?
Interactivity of the circles? (Draggable?)
Customization, more levels
Plug in your own info, affects the infographics
You vs. general masses

Icons:

Individuality
Unique icon set
Appropriate connotations
Attributes
Attitude

fun vs. generic
Broader functionality?
Break down more?
Strategy?
Plotted vs. general public.
Educate

mousepath::day 001

2010-02-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

A small experiment I'm starting on the side. Using Anatoly Zenkov's mousepath code, I'm tracking my mouse's movements throughout the course of the day. (There's a link above to the script, if you want to try it for yourself!)

Day 01: pro practice, lunch, degree project

(Note: large black dots indicate points where the mouse rested for a period of time. So the larger the dot, the longer the duration.)

(9:25am - 12:02pm)

Lots of movement to the upper right corner! Most likely because of expose'.

pro practice:: three surprises (web design)

2010-02-11T22:27:00.000-08:00

1.) Motion graphics may be billed as high as $10,000 per on-screen minute.

2.) When pitching to design a website, a designer may need to hire consultants on creative deliverables such as mood boards, Photoshop comps, or Flash files and determine if a style guide is needed.

3.) Usually pays around $50 an hour.

dp::timeline + media literacy

2010-02-09T00:08:00.000-08:00

How can an interactive web-based community empower high school students to break from commercial mass production and develop their own unique visual identities?

High school students are my primary audience for this project, but can include college freshmen as well. Students in this grade range are developing their own sense of identity, specifically who they are, their likes and dislikes, etc. Regardless of whether or not we admit it, we are all influenced by something. But all people these days are influenced by one main force: the media. Teenagers are often their main focus because they're still developing their own ideas and are slowly allowing those thoughts to steer their lives in the direction of their choice. ("Virgins of thought" some call them.) One major example of media manipulation is the idea of "having a right look."

During my initial round of surveys, I asked high school students: "What does identity mean to you?" and "What do you associate with identity?" OR "What are you favorite brands?" and "WHY do you buy the brand names you do?"

A majority of their responses were often directed towards material objects that they desired: Louis Vuitton purses, Gucci accessories, clothing, etc. Acquiring these name brands seemed to be an important goal for them. A survey of magazines and/or blogs they subscribed to consisted of numerous fashion publications, etc. The problem here seems to be a lack of media literacy. Media literacy is the process of analyzing and evaluating messages in their wide variety of forms. It helps to encourage people to ask questions about what they watch, hear, and read. More importantly, an understanding of the media can help students critically analyze messages to detect propaganda, censorship and bias.

So how can design help to teach teenagers about media manipulation and encourage them to become more visually literate? In order to achieve this, I plan on developing an interactive community which can help to educate teens about the media, and encourage them to forge their own identities. I want this to be more than just a collection of educational articles though. I want the final artifact to facilitate dialogue between its readers, and encourage the exchange of independent ideas.

dp::more prototyping

2010-02-03T10:02:00.000-08:00

A quick prototype worked up for one of my user experiments.

pro practice::dream job

2010-02-02T23:59:00.000-08:00

Writing down my "dreams" in life has always been a difficult thing to fully articulate.

A lot of my interests and desires often differ from season to season, but perhaps the most important thing I hope to avoid is being stuck doing the same thing. I don't want to be designing the same type of projects, until the major I'm interested in becomes nothing but a chore. But in regards to graphic design, I'm very interested in web and interactive graphics, and would love to end up with it as the focus of my career. With room for other things, of course. That's one of the things that drew me to graphic design in the first place, it's versatility. When we think about it, what ISN'T design?

As far as my own geographic location goes, I've always wanted to move towards the coast. (East or west is fine) Since my stay in Boston a year ago, I've become enamored with dense cities and their transit systems. Especially they're transit systems. Whereas native Bostonians often dreaded the morning commute, I enjoyed the simple act of traveling around. Although I suspect if I were to reside there, it would grow old quickly.

Also, the Museum of Science in Boston has a design internship program I wanted. But apparently, I need more "of a background in science." Okay.

I once came upon a small store that was literally FILLED with books. Nothing but endless piles of them, stacked into aisles, obscuring the single employee and cash register; a bound paper kingdom. If nothing else, I want to fill my apartment with books like that.

For now, I've compiled a list of things I enjoy, and hope that they are part of my future. (Well, some are a given.)

earl grey tea
scarves
subways
vinyl toys
paint
actionscript
css
maps
keys
museums
flea markets
travel
tiny books
web design
food
vintage watches
snails
trains
books

dp::revising the research question, experimentation

2010-01-31T20:44:00.000-08:00

Initial Question:
How can an interactive web-based community experience inspire and assist in the creative/artistic endeavors of the Facebook generation for the purpose of promoting an independence from commercial mass production?

Revised question:

How can an interactive web-based community empower high school students to break from commercial mass production and develop their own unique visual / aesthetic / creative identities?

(While at the same time keeping in mind economic factors, potential for change?)

Some considerations:

discovering their own identity/political views/aesthetics/
identity/views - goals of the designer.
create their own identity.
empowering a group of non-designers.
creating a visual identity?
online spaces
price ranges/sustainability
economical factors
focus more towards younger side.
something that changes over time / grows along with the user

With these things in mind, I set to working up some experiments.

Oftentimes, one's visual identity is comprised of the objects that we collect and/or use. It is these little choices that we make (what accessories we carry, the color keychain we use, jewelry, etc) that add up to the whole. (I suppose kind of like Gestalt theory?)

I'm very interested in the DIY culture, and the adaptable nature of the projects that can be found on various online communities. With some of these things in mind:

How can an interactive activity facilitate dialogue between users?
How do the user's interests shape the creative outcome?
How can interactive design engage users in an activity?

spatial exp::buildings

2010-01-31T20:41:00.000-08:00

I've narrowed down my list of possible buildings for this project to the following two:

1.) Rose Center for Earth and Space (2000)

2.) Fire Island House (1977, Arthur Erickson)

dp::research question

2010-01-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

How can an interactive web-based community experience inspire and assist in the creative/artistic endeavors of the Facebook generation for the purpose of promoting an independence from commercial mass production?

-a la Ian Tirone

A slight revision:

How can an interactive web-based experience inspire the creative endeavors of Generation X, (or digital natives) for the purpose of promoting independence from commercial mass production?

mx::project two final

2009-12-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

This portfolio page is intended as a timeline of sorts. The portfolio has been broken down into several years. When the user clicks on different years, it moves them back and forth over the timeline itself.

I made my site's navigation very minimal, with different colors to designate different years or parts of the portfolio. The clickable thumbnails are points on the timeline, which allows for the different works to be arranged in chronological order.

The part I struggled most with was perhaps the Actionscripting. Well, until TweenLite came into my life. Thank you, Greensock.

View it live!

mx::reading responses

2009-11-30T06:07:00.001-08:00

The Interface: p.63 - 78

In this section of the reading, I was quite fascinated by the connections drawn between graphic interfaces and the design aesthetics established by the Blade Runner movie. In essence, it seems that Macintosh and Blade Runner provided the wireframes for the basic GUI, whereas subsequent companies and/or individuals gave these wireframes the design through which we know them today.

But I was especially interested in the part where the author ruminates on how the role of the computer has changed, from "being a particular technology…to a filter for all culture…" (p.64) But this is by no means surprising, when we consider the nature of technological innovations in general. Condensing many parts into less or even a singular unit seems to be a basic trend as far as new technologies go: think of how modern CD players could play CDs, and tune into radio stations. Or, even more currently, separate CDs versus all the songs being loaded into one iPod. (with room to spare.) So its really not that surprising that our computers today could almost render things such as TVs, radios, calculators, etc obsolete.

Cinema: p.78 - 93

Some interesting points are brought up this section. The author wonders wonders how "a language designed by a rather small group of people that is immediately adopted by millions of computer users." Its not because we're "wired" to this sort of thing. Rather, it is thanks to familiar cultural forms. This reminded me of how high school language teachers often instruct students on new languages. They're often shown images (people, food, animals, etc.) that we can all recognize and through this familiarity taught another way to say "apple", for example.

The section where they talked about how computer games utilize cinematic elements such as the implementation of a dynamic point of view was pretty intriguing as well. It reminded me of childhood days spent playing the Legend of Zelda games. One of the best features of the game's interface was the control over the player's camera angle. A single joystick allowed the user to toggle the angle, and even the proximity to the character. Or, they could even simply press the "Z" button (which later coined the term, "Z-Targeting") to automatically orient the camera to their character's straight-on perspective.

Some games don't allow their users to have too much control over this feature, instead letting the AI attempt to preempt where the user might need to view. This lack of control however, is mostly just frustrating.

The Screen and the User:

I was most interested in this section of the explorations of the screen as something that is "dynamic." The idea of a screen is simple enough. A square/rectangular frame that is essentially a window or portal into a virtual space. There is of course, some suspension of disbelief. (just like in cinema) Our files and documents do not actually folders, icons, etc. Rather these are merely the forms that we interact with them in. All our texts and documents are simply bits and pieces of binary code.

But its definitely true how our "viewing regime" is made possible by the full screen viewing. It's something that we often take for granted or forget entirely; until the resolution is off, or the screen image is misaligned and this break in the illusion becomes glaringly annoying.

The reading goes on to note how historically, the screen has always been a simple rectangular object - one that we view from the comfort of our seats. Thus, I'm very much interested in what happens when this classical window is expanded, into virtually everything around us.

I'd like to make a note at this point on the term "virtual reality." Up until last semester, I was often wary about the term because it sounded so…dated. Instead of technological change and innovation, the term called to mind campy science fiction movies from the early 80s and 90s. Thus, I was happy (relieved?) to find a more suitable alternative when I was looking through some of GE's new site features: "Augmented reality." The phrase certainly has the right connotations. The term "virtual," while true that it implies that it doesn't exist outside of the software, imposes separate boundaries between our world and the simulated. "Augmented" on the other hand implies more of an integration with the real world, with the technology making it something greater than it actually is.

multimedia exp::prototype alternatives

2009-11-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

Idea #1:

Layout of the site has been split up into different sections - clicking on the different headers moves the content in from the right, and simultaneously moves the work thumbnails in from the left.

Idea #2:

Moving away from the vertical layout of my original prototype, I arranged the site content into a more open format. The clicking and moving of the user through the page gives the opportunity to see perhaps how the site is composed.

Idea #3:
Reorganized the layout into a horizontal format

vis ad::fight back (seniors)

2009-11-04T09:55:00.000-08:00

Fight Back: Teaching senior citizens to spot scams/frauds

In an effort to combat the large amount of scams that target senior citizens every year, "Fight Back" encourages awareness and dialogue through informational booklets. This project seeks to educate senior citizens to spot and identify different types of frauds that often target this vulnerable demographic. These booklets are made readily available at no cost for seniors at local pharmacies, nursing homes, etc. The material helps to educate readers about different types of scams: healthcare, telemarketing, online, etc. While they are intended for seniors, people of any age can use it as well.

vis ad::senior thesis considerations

2009-11-02T10:20:00.001-08:00

The senior thesis project is a topic that I've been grappling with for quite some time. I’ve written a number of questions that I’ve asked myself: What do I feel passionately about? What message do I want to send about design? Where do I see myself in regards to being an advocate? What is my place in this world as a designer? Do I want to pursue something I’m comfortable with, or try something radically new? But this exercise only engendered more questions than answers. After a time, I came to realize that I'm not much of an advocate of anything. This realization was a sobering one. Like most people, I do care about the state of our environment, and the whole "green" movement, but I wouldn't go so far as to call myself passionate. Our readings in studio have definitely made more aware of issues that we as designers must also consider. The Adbuster article made me realize that we cannot always rely on the clients we work with to set ethical standards. Instead, we have to establish our own. However, as thought-provoking as this proved to be, I don't think I would work with it for an entire semester.
After graduating, I do hope to work with web and interactive graphics. I am deeply fascinated by the level of depth and interaction that can be achieved though flash interfaces, etc. But the coding languages behind it are something of interest as well. (Whether it’s CSS, Ajax, jQuery, simple HTML, Actionscript, etc.)
As a general starting point though, I am avidly interested in new technology and its effects on our design considerations. There are numerous concept platforms on the horizon, many of which could even radically change how we perceive screen-based graphics now. I’ve seen ideas that break past the simple horizontal screen format, and begin to explore more organic to circular forms. There are a lot of designers out there who have been wary how permeated with technology our lives have become. Now, when we design something, we often need to consider how it might appear on a screen as well. Some embrace this. Some run like hell.
But I don't see it as the end of print media. Rather, technology can help to augment our visual experiences. (I’ve often had this “print versus digital” discussion with friends and fellow designers. Discussion has often been heated, often to the point where the two could be likened to archetypal conflicts such as ninjas versus pirates or humans versus mutants.) I’m very hopeful of where we are in design and technology, as well as where this path will eventually lead us as visual artists.

multimedia exp::further layouts

2009-10-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

design systems::branding+apps

2009-10-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Revised version of my smart card system:

Fonts used were Helvetica Neue and Briem Akademi.

multimedia exp::design directions

2009-10-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

multimedia exp::profile page design 1 + wireframes

2009-10-02T12:38:00.000-07:00

One of our design directions. Used primarily earth tones. Profile page is navigated via a tabbed interface. Pages, videos and user-uploaded images can all be linked with search tags, which help to categorize and organize them.

Logo design for the site:

desn sys::logo directions

2009-10-02T12:29:00.001-07:00

multimedia exp::wireframing + ideas

2009-09-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Stylesheet with possible typeface combinations, color palettes, etc.

multimedia exp::individual poster (final)

2009-09-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

multimedia exp::brainstorming

2009-09-17T17:35:00.000-07:00

Need: Young antiquers looking for quality stores that don't sell low-quality, worn-out goods. (Unless that's what you're looking for.)

Solution: Rating system through which they can evaluate the stores they visited, vendors dealt with, satisfaction with purchase. Can upload images, comments, reviews, etc. Customer base. Unifying symbol system for online and analog usage - for identifying different attributes of the store.

Need: To connect with other collectors of like items, etc.

Solution: Local web. Search tags, self tagged so that other people can search for like minded people. Friends list?

Need: To learn more about the object that they find.

Solution: Collective source - similar to a Wikipedia type of information gathering/editing.

Need: Personal expression - to display their collection, allow other users to see what they've amassed, etc.

Solution: User online space where they can post purchases, finds, project, profile information. Online gallery space.

Need: To learn how to create new objects from what they've bought.

Solution: Outlet through which they can post tutorials, workshops, and the like. Step-by-step with photos, videos, etc. Live chats with more experienced artisans in the community.

multimedia exp::individual poster process

2009-09-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

visual advocacy::narrowing focus

2009-09-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

Scams on the Elderly

Some issues to consider:

1.) A vulnerable demographic

As a whole, older generations are targeted for numerous reasons. Chief among them is the fact that they possess the greatest percentage of disposable income with the least amount of debt. (SocialPC) In addition, roughly 80% of people over the age of 65 have at least one major health problem, and thus spend a considerable amount of their monthly budget on health care.

2.) Reluctance to report

Another major issue is the reluctance of the victims to report any instances of scamming/fraud. This is primarily because they are concerned that their family may come to the conclusion that they no longer have the mental capacity to take care of his or her own financial affairs. Personal independence is still a very important thing, and they don't want to seem helpless or dependant on others.

3.) Numerous types of fraud

There are a myriad of different scams that these older generations are often presented with. To name a few:

Jury duty summons - A caller claims to be a Jury Coordinator. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks for your social security number and date of birth so he/she verify the information and cancel the supposed arrest warrant. By disclosing this information results in a stolen identity.
Bogus Foreign Lotteries - You are informed of a large lottery win, but have to send off administration, taxes, and other fees in order to claim winnings.
Social Security Administration - People posing as SSN Administration claim that you have been overpaid on your benefits and owe the government back payments. The con-man escorts the victim to the bank to withdraw the overpayment.

design systems::possible industries

2009-09-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

1.) Place - Venice

The city of Venice has been called many names: "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "The City of Light", etc. With a population of roughly 271,000, the city stretches across 118 small islands in the Venetian Lagoon along the Adriatic Sea in northeast Italy. Venice is a place that is often associated with mystery intrigue. Not surprisingly, it has been featured in countless books, movies and poems. With the role the city has played in the arts, Venice was also one of the major destinations for young upper-class Europeans throughout the 1600 - 1800s embarking on the Grand Tour.

Resources:

Wiki

City of Venice

2.) Idea - 'Smart Cards', contactless payment

Essentially, smart cards are pocket-sized cards which are embedded with integrated circuits that can process data. These items are most often associated with the idea of "touch and go" payment - where users can load money into their cards and use it to pay for thing such as gas, bus fare, etc.

While some US cities already have systems similar to this - the cards still have a limited application. (For example, while the Boston transit system has a reusable card system known as the Charlie Card, it can only be used on the subways.)

Perhaps the best example of this system would be Hong Kong's "Octopus Card", which is used for virtually all public transport in the city. But its use extends beyond train fare - the Octopus Card can also be used as payment at convenience stores, supermarkets, fast-food restaurants, parking meters and even vending machines. The Octopus Card has been recognized internationally, winning the Chairman's Award at the World Information Technology and Service Alliance in 2006.

The implementation and use of smart cards/contactless payment in cities like Kansas City would greatly facilitate day to day life, as well as provide a more environmentally friendly option to signing receipts for credit/debit cards and writing checks, etc.

Resources:

Hong Kong Octopus Card

HK Travel

Boston Transit

Wiki - SmartCards

Wiki - Contactless Payment

3.) Energy - Solar

Solar energy has been a prominent presence in the green movement. But while many corporations and groups have started to utilize solar energy, it is still a rather expensive alternative for the average consumer. Put perhaps through design we can present consumers with small steps towards solar energy.

Resources:

SolarHome

American Solar Energy Society

Wiki - Solar Energy

visual advocacy::research

2009-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Scamming and the Elderly

While scam artists have always preyed on the gullible, in recent years, much of their focus have been turned towards the elderly. It is quite a well known fact that the elderly possess the greatest percentage of disposable income with the least amount of debt. Scam artists prey upon these people with unrelenting deception. It is not a problem that will just go away.
But what is it that makes this demographic such an ideal target?

First we must analyze the different "red flags" which identify certain members of the elderly as targets for scams. First off, these older consumers are often living alone, with no one else to watch their finances for them. Being alone, they are often very appreciative and receptive of guests, especially those who pay a visit even to sell them something which will be of benefit to them or their homes. They are also very receptive to anything promising
assistance to their health conditions or home repair requirements. The older generations are also preyed upon because of how trusting they are; whereas younger, more savvy age groups know better than to disclose personal information.

Sources:
SocialPC
SeniorPro
Balance.com

multimedia exp::antique survey

2009-08-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

hello, antiquity!

1.) Physical boundaries

Vintage clothing, furniture, relics, glasses, records, decanter

s, etc etc. Sculpture, paintings, old medical, optometrists' equipment.

Our community is geared towards younger generations who are looking for an online community about antiques and the collecting of them.

2.) What's / who's involved

People from ages 16 to 25, anyone who is interested in antiques, vintage items, etc. Old furniture, clothing, etc. Pushing antiques as a alternative to new furniture.

3.) Equipment needs

Vintage, antique items. Camera to take quality pictures of goods/relics y

ou're selling. Pricing guides.

4.) Demographics

Enthusiasts ages 16 to 25, who care about antiques.

5.) Individual and community wants and needs

On the individual level, antique collectors are looking for a sense of quality assurance. Commonly used online outlets like Ebay or Craigslist often don't have pictures of the antiques they're selling, or have fees which drive potential buyers and sellers away from the site.

Also, they're looking for community suggestion outlets, a rating system, etc.

(Think Amazon/Ebay user stars, etc.)

tutorials
pick of the week/day/whatever
local finds
buyer's guide

6.) Symbols

Optometrist's lens.(?) Markers of the community could be icons of universally recognized antique items. (Gramophone, records, glasses, pocket watches, furniture, etc)

7.) Motivations

Antique enthusiasts are often motivated by different drives - for some it's the act of collecting objects that they're interested by (Buttons, vintage luggage, typewriters, etc) or just as some described it, "the thrill of the hunt," or "taking other people's treasures and making it your own."

Others seek out antiques because they hope to furnish their home/apartment with them. (Perhaps looking to achieve a certain look or feel.) So I guess this is a motivation for home decoration?

multimedia exp::url and hosting

2009-08-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Possible hosts:

hostmonster

lunarpages

URL ideas:

~~sheilawong.com~~ (domain taken by some professional image consultant.)

wongdesign

sheila-wong

swong

...More name plays to follow.

I'm finding having to think up domain names somewhat difficult, it feels almost overly self-righteous for some reason.

iq font::find+share

2009-07-28T18:40:00.000-07:00

iQ Font - When Driving Becomes Writing

When driving meets type!

Typographers Pierre Smeets and Damien Aresta team up with a professional race car driver to creat a font~

(How's that for experiemental type, Tyler?)

xheight::downloads

2009-05-01T06:34:00.000-07:00

widget v1.0

widget v2.0

ecard

ue:: ziba webpage layouts

2009-04-29T11:31:00.000-07:00

Some revised layouts for Ziba's website. Still working out the language/color system of the nav menu.

ia::final collection site

2009-04-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

plastic playth!ngs

This project was interesting for me because of how I had to learn to apply and integrate a fair amount of information into a screen-based format. Like information graphics, the goal of this site is to make complexity accessible. But it's also about structuring the visual experience itself with navigation. Rather than everything being revealed at once, information is divided into bite-sized portions; to encourage users to play and explore.

Process available as a PDF here.

Blog process:

a.) Initial Wireframing

b.) Object Renders + Revisions v.1

c.) Revisions v.2

d.) Website title brainstorming

e.) Revisions v.3

f.) Revisions v.4

g.) Partner critique + feedback

the design police::find+share

2009-04-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

Hilarious and useful. Get your visual enforcement kit today.

type iv:: revised website layout

2009-04-24T19:02:00.001-07:00

Revised my wireframes/layouts of the XHEIGHT webpage from Wednesday. Final site will be built in Flash. Go AS3.0!

ia::collection flash site

2009-04-22T06:47:00.000-07:00

Not quite final (there's always room for revisions), but pretty close, and up and running:

plastic playthings~

type iv:: artifact designs

2009-04-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

Website layout still needs refinement...

type iv:: XHEIGHT Widget v2.0

2009-04-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

Revised the original XHEIGHT widget - made it a bit smaller, and included meters for hours, minutes and seconds. Also, there's a button on the back that links to our blog with info about the conference

Screenshot of it in action on my Dashboard.

To download it, click here.

type iv:: xheight: now with dashboard widget!

2009-04-11T16:29:00.001-07:00

a simple dashboard countdown widget made for our XHEIGHT conference:

Screenshot of said widget in action:

When the clock hits zero, the widget is programmed to detonate your laptop, therefore forcing the user to make hand-rendered typography.

Just kidding...it'll just throw some positive words your way about attending and whatnot.

Still need to figure how to code it to countdown hours, minutes, seconds.

You can download it here.

the eco zoo :: find+share

2009-04-10T06:11:00.000-07:00

The EcoZoo. A cute interactive website that utilizes fun 3D graphics to educate viewers about energy conservation. The user is about to view things from all angles, and can sometimes reveal details they hadn't seen previously.

Oh...and a new vinyl toy has been added to my collection:

ia::more revisions

2009-04-09T21:54:00.001-07:00

revised the site's title a little - rearranged the revealed infographic compositions.

still need to find better images for my two informational pages.

ia:: more website compositions

2009-04-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

ia:: website brainstorming

2009-04-07T17:34:00.001-07:00

Still working on titles for my website.

vinyl core
vinyl vision
vinyl initiative
vinyl mayhem
vinyl clutter
pliant playthings
designer vinyl
master of monster
plastic menagerie
limited editions
eclectic playthings
plastic playground
vinyl variants

ia:: website layouts+interactivity

2009-04-03T08:12:00.001-07:00

IA: layout revisions+ object renders

2009-04-01T05:54:00.001-07:00

99% conference::find+share

2009-03-27T08:24:00.000-07:00

The 99% conference from behance. click it.

"99% is a conference that focuses less on inspiration, and more on how idea generation and organization come together to make ideas happen. 99% brings together some of the world's most productive creative visionaries to offer a sneak peek into their processes, and share insights on how they bring their ideas to life."

info arch:: wireframes

2009-03-26T20:30:00.001-07:00

Basic layout - user scrolls left/right to view the collection. Fixed top-oriented navigation menu.

Clicking "sort collection" reveals a secondary menu, with options on how the user can sort the aforementioned collection. Clicking one will rearrange the collection appropriately.
Clicking on a specific toy will reveal information about the toy/brand, with photographs, infographs, etc. User can repeat this process on the other items as well.

Left-oriented menu bar, with simple rectangular graphics to denote hierarchy of the navigational items.

type conference :: x-height

2009-03-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

"X-HEIGHT"
non-digital typography in a modern era.

In typography, the 'x-height' refers to the distance between the baseline and the mean line in a typeface. The median, if you will. Therefore, our conference is a meeting ground between non-digital typography in a modern digital age.
Our typographic conference will address the topic of non-digital and hand rendered typography. Things such as letterpress, unconventional materials and/or mediums, old type methods and processes. Activities include lectures from prominent designers and studios, demonstrations, exhibitions, and more. Even in today's increasingly digital world, non-digital typography still has a firm place in the field of design.

conference artifacts will include items such as:

t-shirts
backpack/laptop cases
armbands (to denote staff, administration, etc)
schedules (with lanyard)
website
exhibition book (a print showcasing all of the gallery work and possibly some event photos. will be published post-conference.)
convention dvd - an archive of conference highlights, lectures, etc.

Guest speakers at this event include Yee-Haw Industries and artists Eva Bachmann and Jonas Jaegar. Bachmann and Jaegar work in Wuerzburg, Germany. Their recent project, "Typotonic," explored the use of a liquid media (in this case, tonic water) in the rendering of typography. Using a pipette, they applied the tonic water to a flat surface. Afterwards, they digitalized their liquid type and created a truetype font, Aquabembo.

For more information, click here.

t4:: concept map

2009-03-08T20:44:00.000-07:00

timeline

type iv:: baskerville liquid video

2009-02-28T18:49:00.000-08:00

siphoning off the extra ink.

I began this project considering:

1.) How can hand rendered typography be affected by the surface(s) it exists on?
2.) How can it be controlled via the medium used?
3.) " " transcend the page?
4.) " " reflect the designer's unique process?
5.) " " have a limited lifespan?

type iv - explorations

2009-02-22T19:22:00.001-08:00

typeiv - hand rendered type objectives

2009-02-09T17:09:00.001-08:00

questions:

how can hand rendered typography be temporary?
what happens when you apply it to a grid system?
how can it raise environmental awareness?

through the study of different examples of hand-rendered typography, I chose to study in particular liquid typography. I was particularly inspired after looking at works/exhibits such as "Typotonic", from a German studio. Water/liquids are a free-form substance. So what happens when you apply it to a gridded system? But the selected medium here is in itself quite temporary - which addresses one of my aforementioned questions.

secondly, i am interested in the numerous ad campaigns around which seek to raise one's awareness of the situation our environment is in. these are almost always predominantly image-focused. which leads me to my third question: how can it raise environmental awareness? namely, how could hand generated typography be just as impactful as an image?

How can hand rendered typography...

bring depth to print?
have more legibility than digital typefaces?
reflect rhetorical devices?
extend the letterform?
reflect an artist's unique process?
have a limited lifespan?
transcend the page?
raise awareness of environmental issues?

hand rendered typography

2009-02-05T20:45:00.000-08:00

Is handmade the new modern? I sure hope so.

The increasingly digital sphere we inhabit is filled with ever-increasing amounts of computer-generated graphics and typography - but hopefully, there are artists whom still don't mind working a bit harder when it comes to letterforms. After going through various blogs and design websites, I encountered numerous examples of hand rendered typography in today's graphic landscape. There's definitely a certain aesthetic to these handmade artifacts - something that can't always necessarily duplicated through digital means. But that doesn't mean we can't combine the digital with the more tactile qualities of handmade elements. Hand rendered type is fairly ubiquitous, and can be found in numerous places; whether it be posters, cd covers, album art, websites, titles, etc. Some of the artists I have found working in this field include Stefan Sagmeister, Ray Fenwick, Mike Perry (author of "Hand Job: a catalog of type."), Hjarta Smarta (did some works with sewn type), and Peter Blake.

Among Sagmeister's work, I was particularly attracted to his recent environmental "Urban Play" piece, which featured type which was made from thousands of euro pennies. While he could have easily made this on the computer, it puts itself onto a new level by being hand-rendered.

Whether or not the audiences we design for realize it, typography conveys mood, information, style, etc. While much of this can be conveyed through digital works, there are definitely numerous nuances that the handmade keeps in itself. Hand-drawn work is entirely shaped by their artist's unique process - tempered by things such as accidents, line, color or craft.

Wurman - POV reading

2009-02-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

question: How did this reading effect your view point on the project readings?

One of the first things that Wurman's reading called to mind was the concept of selective incorporation in my high school politics class. We all have our own set of biases in regards to what we see and understand. Perhaps this is our own way of outlining information in our minds, just as we outline text with bullet points and numbers in a word processor.

That being said, we place emphasis on the points in a story that we feel is important; but that in itself can be a very subjective process.

As far as effecting my point of view on the project readings - I looked over my outlines again, this time analyzing what I thought was important. If Vignelli or McCoy were to make outlines of these, would they have emphasized the same points and quotes?

Essays - MODERNISM

2009-01-30T10:48:00.000-08:00

“Long Live Modernism” – Massimo Vignelli

With his essay, Vignelli stands in defense of Modernism, lauding it as something greater than passing trends in art. It is an ideology, a driving force that artists can fight for. Additionally, I saw this essay as a call to arms of sorts for designers. Modernism isn’t dead. There are still many issues within industry and government that require addressing. For myself, I remain still quasi-ambivalent; while there are many aspects of Modernism I admire, I feel that some of the “trivia” and “kitsch” prevalent in society aren’t all that bad.

1.) Modernism seeks to improve the design; into something better
• “To make it better not only from a functional or mechanical point of view, but to design it to reflect cultural and ethical values…”
• “The solutions should reflect the approach taken, and by virtue of its configuration, stimulate cultural reactions in the viewer, rather than emotional titillations.”

2.)Modernism transcends mere artistic style, it is an ideology.
• “…the responsibility to improve the world around us, to make it a better place…to fight and oppose trivia, kitsch, and all forms of subculture which are visually polluting our world.”
• “…the ideology of Modernism, was an ideology of the fight, the ongoing battle to combat all the wrongs developed by industrialization during the last century.”
• “Modernism was and still is the search for truth, the search for integrity, the search for cultural stimulation and enrichment of the mind.”
• “Modernism was never a style, but an attitude.”
• “…the cultural thrust of the Modernism belief is still valid…”

3.) There is still a need for Modernism/Modernists in today’s society.
• “Much still has to be done to convince industry and government that design is an integral part of the production process and not a last-minute embellishment.”
• “…fueling intellects against shallow trends…brought forward by the media, whose very existence depends on the ephemera.”

4.) Post-modernism is not the successor to Modernism, but a temporary fad.
• “The followers of the Post-modernist fad are gone, reduced to caricatures of the recent past.”
• “Post-modernism should be regarded as…a critical evaluation of the issues of Modernism.”
• “…the lack of a profound ideology eventually brought Post-modernism to its terminal stage.”

“The life of a designer is a life of fight. Fight against the ugliness, just like a doctor fights against disease. For us the visual disease is what we have around, and we try to do is to cure it somehow with design.”

“Rethinking Modernism, Revising Functionalism” – Katherine McCoy

McCoy voices her own doubts over the strict rationalism of Swiss Modernism. Instead, she looks towards concerns about the role of design and communication. However, McCoy’s uncertainties over the validity of Modernism doesn’t seem as motivated or as driven when compared to Vignelli’s essay. She ruminates for a while on Modernism, and where the adherence to its ideals got her, and how she has begun to revisit functionalism.

1.) Modernism at the time was an appropriate response to the current trends.
• “To make it better not only from a functional or mechanical point of view, but to design it to reflect cultural and ethical values…”
• “The solutions should reflect the approach taken, and by virtue of its configuration, stimulate cultural reactions in the viewer, rather than emotional titillations.”
• “…Abandoning the ambiguously intuitive territory of fine art.”

2.) Expresses some doubt over the “pure” style of Modernism
• “I came to view this desire for “cleanliness” as not much more than housekeeping.”
• “Functionalism shapes my process.”

considering my collections

2009-01-15T08:26:00.000-08:00

While I am not sure exactly why I collect some of the things that I do, there's definitely a sort of inspiration and tangible comfort drawn from amassing them. Some assortments I'm considering for the upcoming semester:

a.) vinyl toys - definitely my largest collection of "stuff." gleaned from numerous trips to booksellers, comic book stores, urban outfitters and online perusal.

(left: 'totem doppleganger' toy from kidrobot.)

b.) keys - with four total, this is still a budding collection of sorts.

(right: metal key made to promote the upcoming Coraline movie. I found them in a small Boston bookstore. The shopkeeper said I could take one, but I took three because I'm shameless like that.)

c.) scarves - at first acquired because of necessity. although now i can't imagine what kind of necessity would require a person to have seven scarves.

(left: a christmas present.)

Movie Feedback

2008-12-03T08:38:00.001-08:00

This is the feedback I received on my show opener.

About the opener:

My goal with the concept of "Dr. Hydrogen's Atomic Comic Hour" is to have a show that appeals to fans of the comic book industry - whom range from the young to the old. I came up with the idea of superhero/host type personality Dr. Hydrogen as a guide of sorts for both long-time fans and newcomers to the culture. Every week, Dr. Hydrogen leads viewers through numerous aspects of the comic book industry, whether it be current trends, looks behind the scenes, or tips from the artists.

I chose music that I felt evoked the feel of comic book drama, similar to the old-school tv show themes.

vis lang:: infographic base sketch

2008-11-19T05:46:00.000-08:00

bare model

model with annotations

model with annotations + images

comm models: postcard 3

2008-11-14T09:17:00.001-08:00

sound+motion:: opening research

2008-11-11T22:24:00.000-08:00

I'm definitely very interested in pursuing a television opener piece for this project - I feel that this option would suit my topic of comic books more; a data presentation would take a far too logical approach to superheroes and the like, which could alienate its intended audience.

Purpose: television openers serve a number of different purposes - whether it be to draw the attention to the show, or introduce its main actors / characters. They can also help to set the tone of what the show is about, whether it be by virtue of music used, or perhaps narration.

Context: An opener's context would definitely be the shows that appear before and after it. It can be likened to a clapperboard in filming, it signifies to viewers that a new show it starting. It also definitely resides within the sea of advertisements and commercials that are everywhere in TV land.

Audience: Viewers of something like this would most likely be fans of comic books, either looking to learn more about comic books in general, or want to bask in the nerdiness.

Some media I've been looking at:

The STACK

GO Team Venture!

Batman TAS Intro

Batman / Superman Adventures

Batman Beyond

JLA Unlimited

DETHKLOK DETHKLOK! (Metalocalypse)

comm models: object postcard

2008-11-11T21:38:00.000-08:00

Finished postcard:

Iterations:

Don't read this yet, Veronica

Veronica's first postcard had a very negative tonality to it, and I was interested in pursuing this atmosphere. I began this part of the process by thinking about negative connotations which could be associated with bras and the like - one particular idea being restriction and the notion of being "chained."

sound&motion:: nonlinear flash process

2008-11-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

During the initial stages of this project, I started by looking at different examples of my source material: comic books. Materials which I looked at included classic comic books such as X-Men, Captain America, Spiderman, webcomics such as Looking for Group, Ctrl+Alt+Del, or Penny Arcade, or flash websites such as Eco Zoo.

Some of the ideas I played around with in these sketches included a comic book spread layout, or one which consisted of a pile of comic books; with panels which could be interacted with.

I later moved onto color tests and layout tryouts in Flash and Illustrator. After the flash demo, I was able to quickly realized exactly what kinds of object-user interaction I was able to do, given my limited knowledge of Actionscript 3.0

One of my first directions, where the objects I had were arranged into a comic book strip form.
Playing with the layout some more.
Over the course of the last few days, I decided to rework my layout into a more open form: that of an artist's desk, cluttered with items you might find associated with comic book nerds and the like. I liked this approach more because it not only grants the viewer a more open setting, but my objects didn't feel as "confined" compared to when I simple had them set into square frames.

At this stage, I was tinkering around with different objects present on the stage, as well as the overall layout and arrangement.

Final project arrangement.

comm models: object postcard

2008-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

vis lang:: final posters

2008-10-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

With my first poster, I chose to use a modernized parody of jianzhi, or the chinese art of paper cutting. Papercraft works such as these have often been used to decorate homes and doors during festivities; but more importantly, they often reflect many aspects of life such as prosperity, health or harvest. Additionally, they can also represent stories about the happiness gained from the accomplishment of common goals. Thus, it is this feature that I wanted to play upon with my poster design. The colors red and gold were also deliberately chosen because of their symbolic meaning. The former representing fortune or good luck, the latter refering to wealth and happiness.

My second poster was inspired by mahjong, a popular game played by the young and the old. The game is also a metaphor for many things, such as one's city or home (referenced by how the tiles are stacked into four walls at the start of the game.) Thus I tried to use mahjong itself as an allegory for voting itself. The tiles, when still face-down (with their green sides showing) represent unrealized potential, and one doesn't know what part it may play in the game.

vis lang:: documentation

2008-10-14T22:10:00.001-07:00

sound&motion::final product

2008-10-13T07:26:00.000-07:00

This project was definitely an interesting exploration on capturing motion, whether it be by virtue of digital or hand-generated means. It also forced me to consider the verbs and actions that I had chosen, and whether the way I portrayed them had to be literal, or abstracted in some way. Regardless of what solution I came up with, I also hoped to keep it still visually legible.

For my final animation here, I initially wanted to compose it entirely as a stop motion piece - but then gravitated towards trying to blend together both digital and analog means of animation. Working with the flash tools allowed for more fluid transitions and tweens, but I definitely also appreciate how less restrictive analog media can be - hence the presence of both here. And I guess in conclusion, I hope the two approaches might result in a harmonious blend to convey my three actions of sketching, ripping, and crumpling.

Questions:

1.) does the transition between analog and digital media distract from the three actions?

2.) would perhaps a less literal representation of the actions have been more interesting/insightful?

3.) Overall legibility of the narrative.

sound&motion:: animation

2008-10-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

reworked some of the sketching animation since last class, along with the crumple finale.

vis lang :: poster directions

2008-10-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

sound&motion:: storyboards

2008-09-29T09:21:00.001-07:00

vis lang:: rhetoric - mindmapping

2008-09-25T17:41:00.000-07:00

vis lang:: rhetoric - audience

2008-09-23T19:30:00.000-07:00

although initially hesitant about choosing this demographic, i've decided to go with chinese americans for our current project. specifically, the younger generations - a thoroughly modern group, but still very much grounded in the teachings and traditions of their parents and ancestors. and although chinese americans share a high socioeconomic status in american society, they are inactive in politics or local affairs. thus, it is with this project that i hope to explore some of the reasons behind this political apathy, find an entity that many could identify with, and encourage more political activism within this demographic.

1. what are some predominately shared values of this group?
education and family values, tempered with a sense of tradition, respect, and not a little bit of honor.

2. what political policies/issues are particularly important to this demographic in this election? why?
immigration, health care, education, etc

3. are there any cultural references your demographic identifies with? what?
amy tan, margaret cho, b.d. wong, stephen chow, etc.

as with any demographic, it is not without its fair share of stereotypes; and they range from the endearing to the downright derogatory. one in particular that i remember well occurred in an episode of scooby doo, when two of the main protagonists evaded the bad buys by pretending to be chinese. how? by putting on robes and having buck teeth. enter the hideously stereotyped chinese waiter.
there are many things in our culture which are supposed to evoke an "asian" feel to them, whether it be chinese dresses (cheongsam) or chopsticks in ones hair (which is actually a major faux pas), etc

4. what does their graphic landscape look like?

5. including the aiga document and other sources, what are the issues cited for this group not voting?
there's definitely a cultural gap between this demographic and the candidates running. numerous other reasons have been cited as well - too busy, out of town, voter registration problems, etc- but political apathy is definitely a major issue here.

sources:
"why do chinese-americans avoid politics? a study of social isolation" - all academic research.com
"chinese americans" - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_American
http://www.hyphenmagazine.com/

vis lang:: semiotics final

2008-09-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

vis lang:: possible directions

2008-09-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

vis lang:: sketches

2008-09-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

vis lang:: matrix

2008-09-10T06:05:00.001-07:00

type III::baskerville poster

2008-09-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

sound & motion :: process documentation

2008-09-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

vis lang :: Analog gradient

2008-09-02T22:07:00.000-07:00

Index

Symbol

Icon

vis lang :: object selection

2008-08-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

I am definitely inspired by designer/vinyl toy industry - and decided to use one of the new Peskimo Bamboo Zoo figures I bought: Captain Fritter!

"Captain Fritter" (Peskimo's Bamboo Zoo, 2008)
An original created by

Designer/vinyl toys such as these are often targeted towards art enthusiasts and toy collectors, but appeal to a wide range of people of different ages.
Designer toys definitely evoke a sense of unique artistic aesthetic, and are not surprisingly one of the centerpieces of a new growing artistic movement.
Toys such as these are distributed by companies such as Kidrobot, whom commission artists and designers to design the toys. They are produced in limited runs, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Thus, once they're sold out, they're not available again.
Additionally, the MoMA acquired 13 Kidrobot toys in late 2007, which are now part of the museum's collection - in the "Just In: Recent Acquisitions from the Collections" installation.

Index: grafitti artists, spray can, sharpie, plastic mold(?), display shelf, etc.

Summer projects.

2008-07-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

DIY Munny Dolls!

A little project I've taken up between work and studying this summer.
I've completed two so far:

[original working sketch]

[original sketch]

Prang Air-Hardening Clay
Model Master Enamel Paint
Black Sharpie

_"look this way."

2008-05-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Statement:
What are these people pointing at?
Everything in our world is united by a single, vast sky. With Photoshop, I just shortened the space between points A and B. So when you point up at the sky, you could be pointing at virtually anything.

_end of semester statement

2008-05-14T18:01:00.001-07:00

I’ve definitely learned a lot over the course of this past semester – many things which both supplemented as well as challenged the lessons set down last year. I learned to push in numerous different directions here – even if I had my own reservations about something. Doing so helped me to learn to experiment, step outside my own comfort zone, and not be afraid of failure. From each direction I tried, regardless of whether they resulted in success or not, they all contributed to my decisions made, eventually coming to a final solution. But what was definitely the most stimulating thing these past few months was the assimilation and implementation of ideas across the classes.

While we did work on sometimes very different projects; each with varying concepts and problems to contend with – there were still numerous levels of learning and parallels being drawn between the three. Things I learned from Michaels could very well translate into tasks in Jamie’s – or vice versa.

In Michael’s Image Making course, I learned to develop my own image-making skills, which would carry over into projects undertaken in my other two studios. With assignments such as the Seven Deadly Sins or the Six Degrees Project, I learned to look at different angles and such when photographing my subjects, or conveying an idea through its indexes or symbols, rather than the literal depiction. Lessons here easily translated over to other assignments such as the Placards done in Visual Communications, or the Lecture Poster in Typography 2.

In Jamie’s Visual Communications course, it was a challenge to establish my own cohesive, legible and working visual language; especially one that could appropriately convey my chosen subject matter, and be applied to different types of media. I had to learn to understand things such as the subtleties between revealing complexity, and removing complexity. These things and much more factor in to all that we as designers need to contend with. For the work that we produce shouldn’t just be a piece on the wall – they’re large working ecologies. Lessons learned here often paralleled, such as in the Placards and our Type+Image Books.

And finally, in Michael’s Typography 2 course, aside from trying out both analog and digital means of exploration, I was able to work with typographic hierarchies, and type’s ability to influence meaning. We did a substantial amount of research in this course as well, and thus I had to familiarize myself with how to control this info through hierarchies – and then implement them in things such as Magazine Spreads. Things I learned here were adapted into things such as our 6 Degrees Project, or the Placards.

All three courses taught me the importance of creative problem solving, exploration within defined parameters (whether it be our own or someone else’s.), and the importance of exploration – And it is a blend of the three courses that I hope to take with me into future projects.

_placards: digital process

2008-05-09T21:58:00.000-07:00

1.) Initial Concept Sketches + Notes:

I toyed around with a number of different concepts during the initial stages of this placard project: where sushi is found, physical attributes of the dish, cultural associations, symbolism, etc. In the end, I decided to explore sushi in regards to its physical attributes and cultural associations.

2.) Image Collecting:
To get some idea of what kind of direction I wanted to push in for the placards, I began to simply collect as much imagery as I could find. The fact that the final placards were to be of a relatively small size, the process of collecting images I could use was much easier, and resulted in a larger cache of possible pictures I could use.
There weren't any real restrictions I set down for myself during this phase of the project - a lot of the images were related to my concepts, but some weren't. All in all, they helped me to brainstorm for possible solutions.

3.) Slicin' n' Rollin':
Question: So what can happen if you take an image and treat it like you might a piece of sushi? At this point, I began playing around with making slices of my selected imagery, and interweaving my icons into it.
Also, I printed out my three selected icons (temaki, maki, nigiri) onto sheets of vellum and cut them out, to give them a quasi-translucent quality. That way, when they are overlain on my images, some of the colors and hues could bleed through. It felt like a better thing to explore than the simple starkness of a black and white icon.

4.) Placards
Early drafts of my placards.

5.) Placard Revisions
At this stage, something I needed to seriously consider was how to integrate my type/copy writing. I scanned it some handwritten text of my selected words, and composed them digitally in Photoshop:

Placards with hand-generated type:

There were some problems with these first placards with hand type though - some of the writing felt too awkward (i.e. "cold"), and needed some refinement. I also adjusted some of the colors in the placards.

6.) Final Placards:
The final three placards I presented for final critique:

Notes, points for improvement from today's critique:

Rework, refine "Raw" placard. Raw meat is somewhat illegible.
Push more with type, such as in "Raw" or "Colorful."
"Cold" - perhaps lighten image, to help with type's legibility.
Think about how to make the type expressive. (ie. "cold" could be white?)

animator vs. animation::find+share

2008-05-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

Animator vs. Animation by Alan Becker

....I was reminded of this animation I saw a while back, since we're working with Flash and all.

_placard revisions

2008-05-04T17:54:00.001-07:00

_placards progress

2008-05-02T06:05:00.000-07:00

Physical Attributes:

Cultural Associations:

_final magazine spreads + project statement

2008-04-20T20:26:00.000-07:00

Project Statement:

For me, this project was very challenging, whether it be from the organization of information, the furthering of established visual language rules, typographic hierarchy, or just legibility in general. But it's also a fine assimilation of the things that we've been learning in both classes as well.
One of the first challenges I had overcome was definitely how to organize all the research I had done into a visually cohesive and legible infographic. There were numerous levels of complexity that I had to contend with at one time - forcing me to go through four different paper prototypes before finally graduating to a digital translation of my idea. But it was a necessary ordeal - once I had resolved my major issues by hand, they were infinitely simpler to consider once I moved into the digital realm.
On the other hand, I had to look at this project from a typographic standpoint as well. If my infographic was the core of information, then the magazine spread is that which houses it. Both are equally important - and needed to complement one another. Blending the two together was much more than dropping it into my InDesign document and calling it a day. But that’s why I can appreciate that the progression of both the spread and infographic happened parallel to one another – so I learned to implement similar languages to each. And thus, by learning to contend with all these aspects, I've hopefully compiled the works from both classes and composed them into a visually working ecology.

_Infograph + Magazine Spread Revisions.

2008-04-19T14:41:00.000-07:00

After Friday's small group critiques, I made some revisions to my infograph, as well as the magazine spread which houses it:
Took out the "old" texture background - tried an image of a makisu, or bamboo sushi mat instead. I chose this type of texture/image instead to allude to the spread's title image. (See below.) I've also moved the infograph's title to outside of the piece itself; so now it sits above the infograph in the spread's red bar.
Currently researching major events of the 15th - 18th century, to add to the timeline.

View of the infograph placed in the magazine spread:
Old version