freshLIFE cover

The latest installment in the prototype saga. I finally broke down and used the name they are actually using.

Tables Feature In Progess

So here it is. I don't have the text (it is changing too much to bother putting it in right now) and I don't have the photos, and o all of this could change. My biggest question: Do you think that the floor plan graphic will compete too much with the photos? This is supposed to be a photo-driven piece and so I don't want to make it all about the graphic...

blog following for february 25- march 4

On the theme of portfolios, I returned to the "portfolio" section on netdiver.net only to be slightly disappointed. After a month and a halfs worth of browsing through these things, I found myself getting bored - portfolios genuinly started to look the same, Now don't get me wrong - some of the stuff is brilliant, I mean SO well-executed. Stuff I could never dream of doing. But I was bored. An analogy if you will: the first day that I was in Sweden I was shocked to see how many people were actually stunning. I mean like model gorgeous. It was exciting and annoying at the same time. The second day, once again, I continued to be amazed. But by the third day I cam to a realization. Yes, everyone was hot. But everyone also looked the same. This is how I feel about the portfolios on netdiver. They are updated constantly with new material, but they still all loook the same. However I found one diamond in the rough and if you take a look at his work you'll understand why, after this huge rant, I like his stuff. It is so UNIQUE. And not just from the work of others. Each of his pieces are unique from the rest of his work, giving him uber-props for creativity. And making me feel more comfortable about not having a distinct style. I still have to work on my execution though!

class musings for february 25-march 4

This week has been absolutely insane. Between editing exams and designing a feature for the restaurant issue, I am needing some logistical help more than anything. I am sure we are all feeling the same. This week, I would like to discuss the portfolio critiques we did in class. I am not going to lie; this undertaking made me very nervous. It is extremely hard to literally lay out your work to be judged not by one person, but a whole classroom of people. However once I got over the initial everything-I-do-SUCKS feeling, it turned out to be the most helpful, productive thing we have done so far in our design class. It turns out, not everything sucks (though some stuff does) and that some people actually don't mind the things that I thought I hated. I think that it was good that we wrote things down rather than just commented in class because people seemed to be more willing to give honest opinions and feedback when it was slightly secretive (even though we used our names). Let me tell you, I would rather a harsh critique than a nice one. So basically what I am trying to say is thanks. Your input really helped. And I hope that mine helped to. We should do this more often.

graffiti

Some graffiti I am working on

blog following feb. 17-24

so from looking through Vox this week I am getting the impression that everyone is trying thei hand at illustrating. V. cool, because I am totally into this right now. That's why I was happt to discover the illustration portion of netdiver this week. They display a small number (I'm SURE they could find much more/diverse stuff) of illustrators. What I llike thought is that they all have really distinct styles. Personal style is something that I am having a majorly hard time with right now and so looking at some of the tools that others use in the formulation of their style is helpful. For instance, I suffer from the "I think that every I draw by hand looks unprofessional." But if you take a look at the illustration above, you see that vegetablefriedrice.com actually embraces the five-year-old drawing. cool style, and little professional-drawing-experience necessary!

class musings for feb. 17-24

The graffiti logos we are in the process of making is the topic of my class musings this week. For one, I think it is a great exercise for designers to get up out of the seat that faces their computer screen and actually see what is out in the real world. I, like most designers I believe, spend far too much time trying to conjure up brilliant design solutions whilst staring at my computer monitor. NO. Getting out and photographing typography around Columbia was refereshing and inspiring... for someone like me who suffers from the typographic deficiency, it was informative to see what type others used for different purposes and to tell certain messages. For instance, the type on the marketing posters in the windows of Britches versus the type on the flyer I found on the ground for a show at the blue fugue. I think I can learn something here... now, the difficulty is melding these different types into one great-looking logo....

Postscript February 15, 2007

Books February 15, 2007

blog following for feb. 9-16

Okay so keeping on the theme of this week, I have also been quite stressed about my website. Again, I feel like this is something that is REALLY great for impressing potential employers and so I want to make sure that it is creative and funky enough that it reflects my (crazy) personality, but is still PROFESSIONAL. In case y'all haven't noticed, I have a difficult time holding back sometimes and I know that it affects my designs in (often) negative ways. So I pleased to find that on netdiver.net this week they have updated their links to include one on "imaginative" web designs. Holy cow. These things are awesome. Very good inspiration for us. Check it out.
http://www.netdiver.net/imaginative/

class musings for feb. 9-16

This week I would like to discuss the process of putting together a portfolio. This has been on my mind for a while (since I have been applying for internships) however it has not been a stressful endeavour until recently, when I figured out that just showing people that you can use programs doesn't cut it. I mean of course, you need to show them work for which you have used different tools and programs, but you also have to sell them your style, your competency for desiging. This can be anything from colour choices, to typographic choices, to the use of illustration or photography. However what is so scary about it all, is that even if one person thinks you have a great portfolio, that is dynamic and brilliant, someone else could think it's crap. Okay, at the risk of sounding like I believe there is NO hope, I have included a link to a website that I am finding useful.

http://art-support.com/portfolio.htm

liveWISE?

Still unsure of what they are going to title this beast, but here is my Meredith cover. The one that I am thinking they might actually have a chance of liking. I don't mind it, mostly because I am loving this tofu right now. P.S. something you might not know about Kate is that she eats tofu as her main dish every other night.

Postscript Illustration

Okay so I'm not sure why this shows up blue, but if you click on it in you can see the actual colours... This is for the poststript story in the feb 15 edition of vox. The story is about a girl who was a tomboy but was forced into a pageant only to lose.

Refresh Prototype

Works in progress, but again this is the kind of crazy stuff I'm thinking about. Somehow I don't think Meredith would love this....

blog following for feb. 1-feb.8

Hand Design Anyone?

These photos appeared on the blog that I follow under the headline "Can you Believe the Patience." No, no I cannot. I actually think the guy paints his own hands and then photographs them. Crazy. I can barely design on a computer with two, let alone on my own hand with one. Quite impressive.

One thing that really struck me about these animals though is the artist's impeccable use of colour. After attempting to draw a human face (after Christine's glorious example), I realize that I have to work on being able to create/identify the appropriate colours when attempting to create a somewhat realistic depiction. Anyone have any suggestions as to how I can learn?

class musings for feb.1-feb. 8

My class response this week is focused on the paper we had to write. Well actually, it's more about the research involved in doing the paper.

I cannot tell you how excited I was walking through 4 East at Ellis for the first time. It was like magazine mecca. I knew that magazine archives existed, but I never witnessed them in real life. Wow. I wanted to break out in song and dance. I wanted to pull them all down from the shelves lay them out on the floor and skip in patterns around them (I almost did this but a guy walked in and so I chickened out). Basically, I think that I will be spending a LOT more time at the library from now on.

Okay but seriously now, I found this assignment to be quite challenging. Once you are armed with the knowledge of graphic styles-past, you find yourself constantly analyzing, and constantly re-assessing the meaning of visuals. And this assignment is no exception. Looking through Esquire I swear I found elements of every style, though in the end, one was more present than the others. It's amazing what you see once you know the history.