Week 11:Computer Sound Mix

SO this may look like an ancient screen ship from a Windows Desktop PC, but actually its a website that visually and musically creates a mash-up of all the different kind of sounds that are in Windows. I just think it is so fascinating how someone could not only come up with this musically, but combine the visual aspect as well. I'm seeing a trend as I blog this semester with design not just encompassing visual aspects, but also combining musical aspects as well for a more immersive experience. I really enjoyed this website. You can find it here: http://www.cothrun.com/gallery/albums/Misc/windows_mix.swf

Week 10: Strange Statues

So this site showcases some of the most bizarre, yet interesting statues that can be found all over the world. I browsed through the many different images of a variety of statues, and was laughing but also impressed. I was also kind of surprised that some of these statues made it to the public eye. Interpretation is such an individualistic sort of thing. Someone can look at the design of one of these statues and be completely offended, yet another person could look at the same statue and relate, making them enjoy the design on a completely different level. Find these strange statues at: http://haha.nu/funnymages/strange-statues-around-the-world/

Week 10: Sidewalk chalk guy

This guy is extremely talented. He uses sidewalk chalk to create amazing works of art on sidewalk surfaces. The catch is, most of these images he created on sidewalks look incredibly real. I got the link to this site in an email, and I really couldn't believe my eyes at first. His artistry somewhat plays on optical illusion on your eye. I keep coming back to this site for more updates to see what he creates next. This guy has an incredible, unique conception of design which defines his overall success. Find his site at: http://gprime.net/images/sidewalkchalkguy/

Week #9: Piglet's Ears

This is probably one of the most hilarious things I have ever seen in my life. It shows how pigs react differently to sound. All of their ears twitch to different frequencies, even when they sleep. I guess this kind of made me think about how when you design or produce something, you have to really think about the varieties of audiences that will be exposed to your work. You might not know how exactly your work could effect or impact a certain type of individual or group of people. But anyway, this made me laugh, and I hope it makes you laugh too.

Week #9: Rhyme Design

Alright, so I found this awesome website and I just HAD to share: this site let's you type on a word and finds all possible words that rhyme with it. Talk about a musician or poet's DREAM! I can't think of how many times I have needed something like this website to come up with words that sound similar to other words. Plus, they give you the definition of each word so if you don't know what it means, you're just a click away from know the actual definition. Another great example of design helping design!

Week #9: Portfolio example

This is an excellent example of extraordinary design. There are numerous examples of design work on this website that showcase some amazing talent. Nik Ainley has some of the most incredible work I have ever seen. I'm pretty sure this website is his actual portfolio. There really isn't much else to say; the website pretty much speaks for itself. Find it here: http://www.shinybinary.com/

Week #8: Post Secret

Alright, first of all, I am a huge fan of this project. It's called Post Secret, where people randomly and anonymously send in their deepest, darkest secrets on post cards for everyone else to see. The project has been ongoing for years, and many books and a full website have been released due to the project's overwhelming popularity. I think this project is totally amazing; for many, it has become a form of self expression. Many of the post cards are considered respectable designs and works of art. It's interesting, because the Professor would always stress how design can be anything, and who would think a post card could actually be so extremely powerful. I check this website on a regular basis, because there are always new submissions. It just never get's old...

Week #8: Altered Books

This site is dedicated to the alteration of used books to create new meaning to the content. Basically, the concept is to go through a book, omit most of the words that occur in order, but randomly select a word or group of words to stand out. Then, you read the selected words together to create a whole new meaning to the literature. I think it's considered a form of poetry, I think it's pretty cool. In relation to design, it's like the project where we design something, then changed a few things to give the design a completely new meaning. I really enjoy looking at this website and viewing the different creations. Find it at: http://www.logolalia.com/alteredbooks/

Week #8: Musicovery

Musicovery is one of the coolest music websites I've ever seen. This site allows you to select your emotion, and based of emotion selected, it will create a playlist of songs for you to listen to. It also has a new feature where it will connect to you own itunes and select songs from your own library, adding an ever more personal aspect to the music player. The design is also very interesting as well; you can select different emotions or different colors to help explain how you are feeling. It's another great example of combining audio and visual components together to get an overall successful effect. You can find the site here: http://musicovery.com/index.php?ct=us

Week #7: I'm hungry...

So I found another genius example of design. This website let's you select different foods that you currently have in your kitchen, and generates recipes of different food items you can make with only those ingredients. This is so smart! Most college kids struggle when it comes to finding something to eat, and they don't really have a lot of money to eat out all the time. So this website is an excellent alternative. It's a great resource, designed to be user-friendly, and can help people save time and money when it comes to food. The link for the site is: http://www.cookingbynumbers.com/frames.html

Week #7: The Visual/Audio Block

This website allows you to manipulate sound in a very interesting, visual way. You can rearrange the different blocks to create different sounds. Not only can you have variety with the audio, you mix things up visually as well. I think I probably played around with this site for over an hour because I thought it was fascinating. I've shared this link with a few of my friends and they really enjoy it as well. You can find this website at: http://www.thepixelplant.net/dmf/dmf.html.

Week #7: The Breathing Earth

This website is pretty interesting. You can find it at http://www.breathingearth.net/. Basically, this website displays CO2 emissions and birth & death rates by country, simulated in real time. There is a legend that explains the symbology the websites uses. It also has a counter that shows the fluctuation in the world population. I think this website is good design and sends a pretty powerful message about environmental issues. It is also really information and makes you think about what we are doing to our planet on day-by-day basis.

Week #7: Man in the Dark

Alright, so this is one of the coolest websites I have ever been to. The website is called "Man In The Dark", and you can access the site at www.maninthedark.com. On the site, you have an image of a man that you control with your mouse. The man appears to be floating, and you can move your mouse around to control him in different ways. If you click the mouse, multiple images of the man begin to appear and they form some sort of random pattern. It's very interesting, visually amazing, and appears somewhat complex from a design standpoint.

According to StumbleUpon.com, this website has had over 1.1 millions views. One user commented, "its like pulling a man around by a thread attached to his head". I know I have bookmarked this site in my favorites and have enjoyed sharing it with my friends.

Week #6: Confusing Parking Sign

So I came across someone's website that was talking about different public sign and how some of them just don't make any sense. I decided to use this one as an example because it just kind of made me laugh. First, the top of the sign says "mon-sat, 8am-6:30pm", meaning......??? What exactly is that time restriction for? The section below makes a but more sense, "no loading", and is gives the time restrictions. Then the bottom section makes sense at first, I'm thinking it's informing about parking and the limitations. The last part that gets me is where is says "No return within 2 hours", which who knows what that means. If you park, you can't come back for at least 2 hours? Or, you can't park for more than 2 hours? Who knows.....but this is yet another example of bad design and a poor attempt at visualizing information.

Week #6: Lab Assignment 4-Example #5

This example is my favorite! I think it might be confusing if you try to over think what is shown here, but really, it's a very simple metaphor. This images is representing the metaphor "Chill Out". I started with the igloo to help convey the idea of "Chill". This is where I think someone might get stumped when trying to figure out what this means. Next, I took an image of a door, found a sign to place above the door with an man and an arrow, and thought this would effectively convey "Out". Like I said, if you think too much, you might not get what this means, but really, it's just a two word phrase!

Week #6: Lab Assignment 4-Example #4

This image is representing the metaphor "Showered with gifts". I first tried to find something that I felt like would represent rain, but I needed a human aspect to it as well. After browsing tons of images, I came across this one and decided it would work best with the metaphor. Then, I used random images of presents and gifts and placed them all over the image. Like the example of "it's raining cats and dogs", I rotated the gifts to make it look more like they were actually falling down with the rain from the sky.

Week #5: Lab Assignment 4-Example #3

I really enjoyed creating this example. I found the metaphor "Recipe for Disaster" and the creative juices started flowing. I was thinking of all these different ways to represent this metaphor, doing all kinds of image searches. Then, I came across this images, which was one of the most effective images I found without being too disturbing at the same time. Next, I took an image that I thought would convey recipe in a slightly abstract way. I could include an image of an actual recipe because most of them ended of up actually having the word "recipe" on them, so I decided to use the images of the recipe books and the cooking utensils, hoping it would still deliver the same meaning.

Week #5: Lab Assignment 4-Example #2

So this image is representing "It's raining cats and dogs." I am pretty new to photoshop, and I have been struggling with trying to figure out how to use some of the components. So this image is kind of basic, but I still think it manages to deliver the metaphor effectively. I started with a background of real rain, and then found cartoonish like images of different types of cats and dogs. I rotated the cats and dogs to make it look more like they were actually falling down with the rain.

WEEK #5: Lab Assignment 4-Example #1

First I have to say that I really enjoyed this assignment. I thought it was really interested to try to interpret all the different metaphors into a design without actually being able to use any of the words. I am hoping that the next few examples I blog about over this week will be pretty easy to interpret.

This first example represents the metaphor "Time is Money". I found the background image through a google search of "time". When I saw this image, I just knew this was what I wanted to start with as the background. I thought this would easily be interpreted as representing time. Then I had to figure out how to incorporate money and how show the equivalency between both. The red equal sign contrasts with the white and black of the clock and is commonly understood as meaning "is". Then, I found an image of money, placed it close to the equal sign, and felt that this metaphor could be easily interpreted as "Time is Money".

WEEK #4: The Sleek Chair

So after my last post, I decided to search for a chair that, in my opinion, had an excellent design. I came across this chair and immediately fell in love. The sleek, modern industrial design draws me in, and I would purchase this chair if I saw it in a store. If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a huge fan of simplicity, minimalism, and modern architecture and design. This chair is right up my alley in my design taste and preferences. I guess the only thing that concerns me is how comfortable the chair is when you actually sit on it, but you know what they say: "Pain for beauty!"

WEEK #4: The Potato Chair

I'm not really sure what the idea was behind the design in this chair. Quite frankly, it is extremely ugly. It looks terribly uncomfortable, and I'm not sure who would even want to sit on it. It reminds me somewhat of disfigured, rotting potato with sprouts coming out the side. I'd definitely say the creator of this chair was most likely going for an abstract look, but I think he or she might of went a bit extreme from a design standpoint. However, I suppose beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so others may interpret the design of this chair in a completely different light.

WEEK #4: The Cluttered Ad

I couldn't find a larger dimension of this image, but both sides are supposed to be advertising a supplement that is supposed to enhance an athlete's performance. I selected to talk about this image because I felt like this was a terrible example of advertising concepts as well as design principles. As a whole, this advertisement appears extremely cluttered and very distracting; I'm not really sure where to look first. There is entirely way too much information crammed into this advertisement. It would probably take the average person over 10 minutes to get through the entire ad. If I were to make some changes, I would go through the information, picking out the most crucial selling points of the product, and include only that information in the ad. This would take away some of the clutter, and allow the ad to be much more organized and to have a better flow for the audience.

WEEK #4: The speaker

I came across this image of a speaker on a website where I was looking up different audio engineering products. I wanted to share this image because I really liked the overall design of the speaker. The craftsmanship and design is very simple and modern, yet somewhat retro at the same time. I think this speaker would fit not only in a recording studio in the 70's or 80's, but also in a modern downtown loft or apartment of today. I find is fascinating when you can incorporate good, aesthetic design in something where the main purpose is not really what it looks like, but the functionality is provides as well.

WEEK #3: The World

I found this image and was immediately impressed--just the colors and layering are amazing in itself. I'm guessing this might be someone's interpretation of the world. You have many different images being represented here: clothes, a vacuum, a stroller, a dog, chairs, shoes, and other various types of furniture and items. I think this is interesting because these are things that are found all over the world, and in some ways, make the world go round. I think the artist of this image took a very interesting, yet complex approach with the layering and color scheme of the images. All in all, I have to say its a fascinating composition and another example of good design.

Week #3: Lab Assignment #3 Example 3

In slide 7, I began with just the idea of the phrase “cloud 9”, then I decided to add an actual cloud to the words. After brainstorming companies that could be named this, I first decided to go with an airline company. I thought the name would be catchy and would make sense. However, after viewing the final product, I still feel like the logo looks a bit “cartoonish” for an airline company. It probably needs to be a touch more modern and sleek; probably take out the cloud altogether.

So in slide 8, I tried to branch out a bit and decided to change the font and lettering to where this logo would brand a spa. I think the graphics and font style make much more sense when applied to a spa rather than an airline. Most people who are on “cloud 9” are relaxed, carefree, and on top of the world—similar feelings you would encounter at a spa.

WEEK #3: Lab Assignment #3 Example 2

In the fourth slide, I wanted to create a logo for a film company, so I started with the word “ENCORE” as the name of the production company. From there, I began adjusting the colors and styles of the lettering. I added a 3-D effect on the lettering in combination for a soft black glow around the edges. After that, I got the idea to replace the “O” with an actual reel of film. So I placed a graphic in the background with letters slightly overtop, creating a layered effect. Lastly, I added the lettering at the bottom of the graphic to brand the film production company.

In the fifth slide, again all I changed was the letting in the bottom portion of the graphic. Here, I decided to brand this logo as a banquet/catering company. My thoughts were banquets are events that are usually some type of “production”, like a wedding or a corporate event. So I thought the visual representation worked well when it was applied to this type of company.

I think out of both slides, the fourth slide works the best with the literal meaning of the graphics. “Encore” is a word commonly associated with the film industry and movies, so it is more appropriate for this graphic to brand the company. Also, placing the reel of film as the “O” is another creative aspect that drives the literal interpretation of this graphic.

WEEK #3: Lab Assignment #3 Example 1

In the first slide, I attempted to design a logo for a photography company. I wanted something edgy, modern, with a “hip” use of color; something that immediately draw you into the design of the logo. I used different shapes and angles to come up with the separate letting of the word “FLASH”, and used different color schemes throughout each letter to spice things up. I also added a lighting bolt in the background to assist as a visual aid to the word “FLASH”. If you can see, I also snuck in a second lighting bolt as the “L”. Lastly, I placed the word “PHOTOGRAPHY” within the logo to help brand it as well as give meaning to the overall design.

In the second slide, I changed the wording so that this logo would represent a completely different organization, in this case a professional soccer league. I thought this design could be applied to any kind of sports league because of the colors, and the modern edginess, color, and design in the logo.

In my opinion, I think the branding in the first slide works the best because most people associate a flash with a camera. So, the fact the a photography company would have this kind of logo would completely make sense. This logo works well for the soccer league, but the logistical ease of the association between logo and company/institution works much better with the photography concept.

Week #3: The Stove Disaster

This picture is hilarious! I guess most people are used to seeing a stove with four burners, and this one only has three. I would say this is an example of bad design because it doesn't maximize the total space on top of the stove. I guess if you were in a small apartment, this would make sense, but use the maximum amount of space available on top of the stove. The two front corners are just wasted space.

WEEK #3: Good Design

I really think this picture is great, not only because it is good design, but because of the message it sends. Good design should be felt by whoever experiences it; if not, it's not good design. Good design is something that should inspire, trigger passion, please, and satisfy. Good design is something that is felt within; when you experience good design, your emotions embody the design so you can feel it. If design doesn't make you feel anything, than it's just not design.

Week #2: The Mouse

Found this image online today. Thought it was a very interesting design for a mouse. Not very "typical" of what most people would expect a mouse to look like. I personally like this design; it's sleek, modern, and kind of futuristic. This mouse is very aesthetically pleasing to the eye--it has very smooth contours, and the illuminated stripe going down the center adds a very nice touch. I imagine the strip divides the mouse into right click and left click options. Only thing I would change is make it wireless!!

Week #2: Lab Assignment #2 Example 3

In original slide 11, I used 3 basic shapes to attempt to send a message to the viewer: “I love the sun.” In slide 12, I altered the color of the heart because most people associate the color red and the image of the heart. I though adding color would enhance the meaning of the symbolism. In slide 13, I repositioned all of the shapes for a different visual effect. Repositioning the shapes from top to bottom may help the viewer interpret the symbolism easier. In slide 14, I used color to place more emphasis on the symbolism and overall meaning of the message. These are universally accepted colors for each of these symbols, adding a greater understanding to the message the symbolism is attempting to convey to the viewer.

WEEK #2: Logos

I have to admit that I don't like the bottom design. I was doing some research on logos for another class, and I came across this logo for the Olympic Games. First of all, I don't really understand how this design has anything to do with sports, london, or the olympics in general. If it wasn't for the 5 rings, it would be impossible to actually tell what this logo is attempting to represent. Second, I don't like the color scheme--it's very plain and boring. I would probably use a white or black background, and then add some color to make the logo look much interesting. I would also represent the rings in their actual real colors. Third, the design of the logo needs to be altered in some way that relates to the Olympics or where it's being hosted.

Two great examples of good logo design I found are pictured just above the bad design. I like these logos because you get a sense of the culture of the host country. These two logos have excellent representation and help the viewer identify with the images and the information trying to be conveyed.

Week #2: Lab Assignment #2 Example 2

In original slide 6, I created a basic sign that is supposed to inform the viewer to shut the door. I included text and an image of a door I created using basic shapes. In slide 7, I placed more emphasis on the image of the door by creating a door frame on which the door would be closed. I also placed an arrow within the frame for additional visual guidance. In slide 8, a small changed was made with the sizing and placement of the arrow. I think this had minimal visual impact. In slide 9, I again changed the sizing and placement of the shape. I also placed the text within the door frame, and changed the color of both the arrow and text to red. I think this slide accomplishes the greatest visual impact using very few changes related to color, size, and placement. All of these aspects place the greatest emphasis on the message being sent to the viewer.

WEEK #2: Lab Assignment #2 Example 1

In original slide 1, I created squares with squares that regresses the eye towards the center of the slide,somewhat creating a dimensional affect on perspective. In slide 2, I placed a black gradient in the background to emphasize the center regression of the squares. In slide 3, I placed black squares within the blue squares instead of using a gradient to determine which effect placed more visual emphasis on the center regression. In slide 4, I used a slight visual effect combination from slides 2 and 3 to place the greatest visual emphasis on the center regression. In my opinion, I believe slide 4 has the greatest visual impact because it combines minimal visual changes to achieve the greatest visual emphasis.

WEEK #2: Architecture

I found this image online today and found it to be absolutely fascinating. I love to look at interesting architecture (I'd be an architect in a second life), and I think these stairs represent excellent design. The stairs are modern, simple, and the design is very minimal. I tend to lean towards being a minimalist, so I love the design of these stairs. The only thing I would add is a hand rail on the wall, just to have some guidance and security when going up the stairs. I do ponder how sturdy the stairs are, or how much weight they can actually support. I also love the design of the desk and the hardwood floors. I think this room has a very natural look and overall feeling of minimalism.

WEEK #1: Lab Assignment #1 Example 5

In my last example, I tried to again keep a lot of the main design concepts of the page intact, but just make some subtle changes to improve the appearance and navigation. I took the top half of the page, including the logo and graphics, and expanded it to take up more space, making it easier to read. I also switched the subcategories with the information about the company; I thought it would be more appropriate for that type of information to be displayed right below that logo because it helps the user identify with the branding of the page. Next, I added multiple spots to place images on the left hand side of the page because most customers will most likely want to view the product and also view images of the store. On the right hand side, I placed the "Men's" and "Ladies's" categories (with subcategories) right next to each other, making it easier for customers to locate and browse through the products.

WEEK #1: Lab Assignment #1 Example 4

Alright, example #4 was a doozey! When I first came across this page, I highly considered not attempting this because I thought it would be way too difficult. But after giving it some thought, I came up with a few good ideas that I thought would drastically improve the overall appearance and navigation of this page. The first thing I noticed was that on both sides of the page, there was a lot of repetition among graphics, links, and information. So I decided to reduce that down to just the left side of the page, allowing more room for the information in the center. I also noticed there were many links that could be categorized into groups, so at the top of the page, I placed these categories with the option to scroll over them, showing all the subcategories. Instead of having bulk, scrunched up information in the center, I expanded the center portion more to the right, allowing for more information and more pictures to be displayed, and also making it less visually straining on the user.