3_31 Book Reading Summary

The first part of this reading was about balance; right off the bat I thought a good point was made in that it should anchor and activate elements in space. I thought it was an interesting point to make that relationships of the elements of a page represent physical relationships in our lives. In both we strive for balance and to make sure that everything is divided as equal as possible. Another good point made was about rhythm and how designers use it to guide how their work is intended to be seen.

In regard to balance, the reading also talked about symmetry and asymmetry and how both can be used successfully to achieve the same goal of a good design. "Asymmetrical designs are generally more active than symmetrical ones, and designers achieve balance by placing contrasting elements in counterpoint to each other..."

Repetition was regarded as a dominant feature in our everyday lives and something we can not get away from so we should embrace it. Using everything discussed so far, designers are able to create rhythm in their work. They mentioned grids, circles and lines to be elements to help achieve rhythm. Along with rhythm comes pacing, which we are also working on with our workbooks.

Scale was also mentioned in the reading, what they said about logos was something that was stressed to us in our graphics class; a logo must be legible both at a tiny size and from a great distance. They also made another good point about scale regarding how different things look once you print them after having designed them on screen.

Implied motion was another interesting topic covered in the reading. They talked about how designers use many different techniques to show change and movement. Animation was also covered; they went over how sequences of still images are used to create the illusion of movement. The reading also talked about how designers like to work frame by frame when starting projects, which is similar to what we do when we start a new motion piece with our storyboards, that they also talked about.

The section about animating type will be beneficial to refer back to once we start our speech motion project. They made a good point that even though animating text is like an image, it is still crucial to make sure that it can still be read in order and that it is legible.

Journal 6: 30 Convos on Design

The first talk I listened to was from Sean Adams. I thought he made some valid points; but I was definitely not expecting any of his answers to be any thing close to what he said. He said his most inspiration comes from the Declaration of Independence. This surprised me for several reasons, I never really thought of it as a "design" prior to hearing his explanation. Thinking of it as a piece that its "audience" (the Public) had to understand was a new way of looking at it for me. This proves his point that governments need to be obviously well designed, but also in the process it has some similarities to designers work today. His answer for the big design problem was also interesting. He kind of reversed the question by saying that having this big problem that design was going to solve but too much on designers and made them feel inadequate. He backed this up by talking about how the process of design works with clients. As a designer you help your clients maintain their lifestyle and allow for them to live their everyday lives as they see fit. He also said that the next big problem for designers should be their next project, which was also an interesting take.

The next video I watched was from Joe Duffy. He talked about how it was hard to pick one single piece of inspiration and thinks its more of a group of inspirational pieces that motivate him. His example of this was nature; he thinks it has specifically motivated designers over the past 25 years. He then brought out an example which was some jars of classico pasta sauce; he and his team used illustrations from nature. They also used natural colors to make it have a hand made old family recipe feel. I feel like this was a great branding strategy because people are starting to pay more attention to the foods that they eat and a natural feeling that this label uses hints towards this. Another example he showed was the Islands of the Bahamas branding. I had seen this before and love it. They use natural colors and "flora" along with tropical fish to make up a map of the Bahamas. This was such an innovative and creative way to represent the island. They got their inspiration after visiting the Bahamas, this shows how important it is to gather ideas and inspiration to help you in the long run develop successful solutions. With these examples it is easy to understand why he thinks the next big problem for designers to solve is how to keep incorporating and preserving nature. It is important that nature is protected so it can keep inspiring designers now and in the future.

Eric Ryan inspiration comes from the camera and the endless possibilities it allows. He made a good point that even if you don't have a camera with you, you are never not able to snap a picture thanks to cell phones. This allows for inspiration to be documented anytime as long as you have your phone, which is almost always. I also really thought what he said about training the mind to find inspiration in unexpected places. This is something I really want to incorporate into my own designing. I think I am going to start being more observant to my surroundings to try to find inspiration in new places. He also said that the more unexpected the better; it allows for even more originality. With this incorporation you will look at the world differently and it will show in your work. I had never seen a "grass roof" before he talked about them being the next big problem for designers to solve. If this was a possibility I think he is right it would have a very good impact on our culture but unfortunately I think this is something that is far from the near future. But I appreciate where he was coming from in saying the sea of grass would create a more beautiful place, which is also a designers goal.

Greg Hoffman's inspiration comes from the new Mission 1 motorcycle; he likes what it represents because it has the same functionality as any other motorcycle but it is innovative because of the fewer emissions it releases. It is an example of how you don't have to give up form and function to create a product that is better for the environment. Another important aspect considered in its design was sustainability. Hoffman's answer to the question about what problem designers can solve next shows how broad the design field can be. He answered with tackling youth obesity by encouraging youth participation in sports. The main goal was to get kids active again. He also had three main points that he thought would be beneficial;

1. Environmental design; create a space where kids want to play.

2. Equipment design; get youth active by providing fun opportunities.

3. Communication design; send out message to youth to motivate them to lead an active lifestyle.

I know Hoffman works for Nike so I think its great that they are concerned about youth and what there options are for activities. If they focus on youth it will allow for them to start a healthier lifestyle which they will hopefully continue with throughout their lives.

The last video I watched was from Eddie Nunns. He also said it was nearly impossible to narrow his inspiration down to a single piece of art. Instead he said he was inspired by efforts of other designers. Some examples he gave were architects dedicating their time to designing low income housing. Also designers who spend time designing products for everyday life. Since he works for Neimann Marcus it was refreshing to hear about how he supports fashion design for people at all economic levels. He made a valid point that good design should be available to everyone and part of their lives. He also said that a problem that designers should work to solve involves nature and sustaining it. He talked about the world of ecology and how sustainable energy is an area that needs to be more developed. Lastly he talked about the wind turbines that you see while driving out in the middle of nowhere. I had never really thought of them as a "designed piece." He made a good point about them and even said they had a "magnificent" design, almost looking like a statue. With these goals on preserving our environment it is key to have everything designed well so it works well the first time and fits its specific purpose.

History of the Bathing Suit Process

Project Overview: This challenge was to create a timeline; we had six different topics to decide between and I chose the history of the bathing suit. The real focus of this project was to show time through typography. It was important to not let our timelines become too image based. We had to organize our information in a logical way that would read as a timeline by establishing order.

Our first step was trying to find a proper type treatment for the information. From the beginning I had the idea of using the string of a bikini to serve as the "line"

After going through the first phases, I decided I was going to need more then simply a curvy line (string) to signify that it was a bathing suit. I used a few images to try and use a real picture. I was thinking that the persons back could serve as the background and that it would help the viewer know it was suppose to be about swimsuits. However, using an image like this was difficult because it was not working to enlarge because the skin became unrecognizable. Of all of my preliminary explorations, I decided this was the one with the most potential:

Even though it was very incomplete, I liked the idea of having the bikini top showing with the string hanging down. I was also planning on using a real string and attaching it to the final product. I also thought about doing a flip book that had the string woven through it. However, that idea did not last long.

Once I had my final idea, I was able to come up with a few variations.

I chose to make the swimsuit this silver color because I was still planning on using a real string. I thought about finding a way to have it come through under the loop or even a make a loop with the string to attach. The silver seemed too boring for my idea, so I decided to change it. I wanted my finished product to have a fun feel so I decided to incorporate the "yellow polka dot bikini"

I couldn't decide if I wanted to have just the outline (which I thought would have worked better with having the string attached). I was also questioning whether to have the dots be yellow, silver or blue on both the outlined and full color swim suit.

I decided to go with the full color swimsuit and also to not use the string. By using such a bright yellow it really didn't need the string. Plus, it would have been difficult to attach and would have more likely then not looked tacky. This is the final composition.

Project Brief: I started out really thinking that I was going to like this project. From the start I knew I wanted to do something fun and upbeat because my last project had a very serious tone. But once we got going in the project I started to have some issues with how I was going to execute my idea. I really did want to use a string in a flip book. If there would have been more time I might have tried harder to make it happen. When I realized it wasn't going to happen I kind of hit a slump and felt somewhat lost with where I wanted to go. My images were not turning out well on the computer because of poor quality resulting in them looking very pixilated. But I am happy with the way that my final poster came out. I have never really made anything like this using the pen tool. It looks very graphic and is something I would like to try more. I like the idea of the yellow polka dot bikini because it is so popular and a very recognizable song. Because of this I feel that it works well with the history of the bathing suit.

TED Talks.

Stefan Sagmeister's talk on design having the ability to make you happy had several points that I could relate to my education up to this point in addition to several things that have directly impacted me in both positive and negative ways.

One of the points he made was about being happy while you are designing. This seems obvious, but I have found that while I am stressed out working on certain projects I sometimes forget to enjoy what I am doing rather then just trying to get it done like a normal assignment. Our coursework is much different then a typical assignment for a class and should be much more enjoyable. I am going to try harder to take a moment to remember how much I like what I am doing; not only will this help me get what I need done, but will also greatly benefit the outcome of my projects. He also mentioned how beneficial working without distractions is, being happy while I am designing will definitely take away a stress distraction.

He also talked about how important it is to incorporate variation into your designs. He mentioned tools and techniques; I need to expand my horizons and follow this advice. I really want to become more comfortable with photoshop and bringing myself out of my element to give me more experience.

I really liked two things he said;

"Everything I do always comes back to me"

"Having guts always works out for me"

I also listened to JJ Abrams talk. This was especially enjoyable for me because I am a die hard LOST fan and have been watching it from the beginning. As much as I have talked about the show with friends I loved the insight on what the producers put into their ideas for the show. He showed a clip from the pilot to make a point about how far technology has come. He said, "If we would have wanted to do this 20 years ago we would have had to kill a stunt man." He was making a point about how far technology has come; he said people have to know they have the potential to make anything. He then related it to another topic he covered; he said that the blank page is like a magic box. Abrams talked about how much he loved and learned from his grandfather. He loved to take things apart to see how they were designed. He has also had a mystery magic box for years and has kept it unopened because he loves what it represents. It not only reminds him of his grandfather but also the infinite possibilities it holds, potential, and hope.

Paula Scher's video was also very inspiring. The most important thing I took from this talk was about how sometimes its best to not know absolutely everything about a new project or concept because you will have too many preconceived conceptions about what you're suppose to produce. May be best to be "unqualified." She talked about how it may not always be the best way to go by always doing what is expected. I was really interested on her work for the New York Public Theatre identity. What a great opportunity to be the "visual voice" for the place without a format or an in house department she would need to work with. She used it as an example of serious play because she was able express herself and grow from it. But it was interesting to hear about how popular it became and how it was copied by other organizations forcing her to re-create an identity. I'm curious if there would have been anyway to protect her work with copyrights?

The How Good is Good reading raised a lot of valid points about the potential of good design. Sagmeister wrote about how he wants a part of his studio to focus on doing designs for significant reasons opposed to just doing cool things. He also talked about how strong designs for bad causes can be very harmful. Some of the important points he brought up for good design for good causes were that it can unify, help us remember, raise money, inform and teach, and lastly make people feel better. After watching Sagmesiter's talk and reading his article it is no surprise that he is popular in the design world. Even with all of his success he seems down to earth and has the desire to help others through his work and by being a teacher himself.