final project.

my final is composed of 3 works. the big idea is identity, particularly the pursuit of positive characteristics as part of one's identity, which are universally understood as positive.

(blog 4 contains the apologetic for this process and statements)

closing remarks. aka blog 5

a. What is the most significant accomplishment in looking at your Midterm or Final?

if Photoshop (PH) could be distilled down to a main feature for the sake of argument, i would argue that the use of layers is crucial and core to the program. before this class i hadn't used PH at all, much less did i understand the concept of layers. learning to use layers--especially labeling, color coding them, arranging them in groups--proved to be the one feature that no matter what i was doing or will do with the program in the future, will remai

n central to all i do. by the final i had separate folders named and colored with active images in the document, and inactive source material (for the professor). that's not to mention the final animation i did, which involved activating and deactivating 4 different layer effects so as to create a gradual change to an image over 200 animation frames. none of this would have succeeded were it not for the base understanding of layers.

b. project and most challenging learning experience?

my fourth quiz was by far the most frustrating project. the use of selections and masks was excruciating throughout the quarter, but reassigning the essence of that project for part of my final was much easier than it had been when i first manipulated the image. during the quiz i was attempting to make the final product as simple as possible, but i had a small portion of the image to remove. the best way i knew how at the time was to essentially delete that section of the base image. this left a square hole

in several layers that was covered in the final product. i accomplished my goal but it was ugly.

using the same base concept i was able to make the final animation accomplish the same end result as the quiz, but i avoided several steps and did not have to use such a base workaround. the result was much more fluid and clean.

c. compare meaning made in two projects.

the one thing i fought against in creating meaning in art was the challenge of being too overt. i value clear communication and was pleasantly surprised to learn more about the level of connotation in art and how powerful it can be. it was still a tension to work with, as i wanted to create meaning but do so in a way which would be received and still open to reception and processing by different viewers.

the earlier work to contrast against too-overt communication would be one that potentially was too complex or ambiguous (and received critiques along those lines as well). i sought to combine elements that are very specific mathematical and historical works that while they hold meaning on their own, combined they risk being washed of actual meaning. the previous video was the latter work and i think accomplished a better balance even though it uses actual words.

final project. aka Blog 4.

the big idea for my final project is identity. i have used that idea throughout the course and in the final i focused further to a) aspects of my identity, and b) characteristics which i believe are universally accepted as positive attributes of identity. in my midterm i explored the concept of specificity or randomness in nature--seeking to establish a solid foundation from which to focus in on the concept of human identity--without which “good" or "positive" becomes essentially subjective labels. my first image is an outward plea to others, the second the list of positive characteristics, and the third the visual embodiment of removing false masks to reveal who they actually are. the concept for the work is three panels, the man being the left-most vertical panel, the cycling words to the right top, and the unmasking-face the right bottom. the two moving images would cycle continuously.

i was influenced throughout by banksy who consistently pulls back the veils and superficialities of culture to make strong statements about things people might otherwise pass over. in so doing he often uses innocuous images, spliced or placed in contexts which radically change their meaning. essentially he represents a burgeoning trend of street art mixed with the visual and audio concept of “mashups” which take various songs or images and combine them to make something new.

during my diptych i enjoyed reviewing the works of Leonardo da Vinci and how he strived deeply to understand the mechanics of both natural and man-made things. it was this process that acted a catalyst as i dug deeply into my big idea. i didn’t stop merely at the surface (arguably where i am most weak artistically) but continued exploring the foundation of my big idea. i feel this proved to provide whatever strength my final project demonstrates.

finally, i am a product of the Nintendo, tv, internet, visual generation. when we learned animation i knew instantly that i wanted to attempt it for my final as a new technique, and also i felt it could help communicate otherwise static ideas in language familiar to my generation (and subsequent ones). i will attempt to use the animation feature of Photoshop in my final project. i'm not sure how that will turn out or be incorporated but i find it to be most intriguing of the newer concepts.

Quiz 4.

movie mash-up.

assignment: take two movies which appeal to two different audiences and manipulate the connotation of the poster of one of them, with opposing elements from the other.

this is my resubmit. before i had changed the movie, "Little Miss Sunshine" to be something else which doesn't exist. i focused on the Olive character and exploited that image--taking her overall innocence in the movie and granting her the persona of Beatrix Kiddo from Kill Bill.

i chose these two movies due to the similarity of yellow, yet the very different themes of action/slasher film and family satire. Little Miss Sunshine is dystopian enough that it wasn't a difficult bridge to establish. see for yourself if it worked.

fun times.

diptych inspiration 2.

Matt Siber

Matt Siber’s main appeal is the way he brings attention to themes that people pass by daily and rarely consider. His work has strong potential in connotations of culture and branding that are too easily overlooked (under-considered). Denotatively there is a haunting appeal in his work that again takes innocuous signage and pulls back its innocent existence in an over-saturated visual environment.

Cola, 2006-7

Siber’s work informs the way I am thinking about how to draw attention to what is easily overlooked--nature. Unless one makes a practice of considering their environment, they most likely will not give a second thought to the construction, whether “miraculous” or “base,” which gives it shape.

McDonald's, 2003

Many of his projects are extremely simple and this provides a clear focus on the subject matter. I wonder at times at the potential vapidness of his work, but with enough time I expect most would be able to discern the message he is communicating. The personal takeaway for me is the clarity. I tend to be verbose and while I wouldn’t attribute that tendency to the field of art, it is possible to be unclear both in too little and too much information.

Untitled #13, 2003

diptych inspiration 1.

Leonardo da Vinci

+3 images

da Vinci’s place in art history is remarkable by itself. The personal appeal lies in the thought and calculation da Vinci employed behind his genius. Many historians and critiques observe the mathematical precision inherent in his works. With immense skill and immense care he drafts precise works of art which generally are relegated to a discipline apart from intense calculation in my mind. Looking beneath the surface reveals to me that I am ignorant of the process some artists undergo in their craft.

Vitruvian Man.

For my big idea of Randomness vs. Specificity in nature, it was da Vinci’s Vesuvius Man which particularly caught my attention. He took a natural form (the human male) and subjected it to further mathematical examination. In so doing he speeds my thinking along the same lines as I consider the foundation of nature and in what ways (if any) it can be reduced and understood.

Womb (anatomical drawings)

I was further inspired to think deeply about my project, and the ways in which the seemingly covert theme of specificity could be shown. I fear being too overt in this attempt but understand too that I am in process. There is a fundamental simplicity in da Vinci, and this forces me to consider the building blocks and how I can incorporate them, directly or indirectly, to achieve my final goal.

The Last Supper

diptych.

statement.


Specificity in the design of nature is my big idea. By considering identity I was forced to ask, “Is human nature random or specific,” and responded with this project. I used an image of a sunset I witnessed in California last year, and considered Fibonacci’s numbers and the Golden Ratio. I also considered the work of Piet Mondrian and Leonardo da Vinci for their use of primary colors and mathematics in art, respectively. Each of these works applied rigorous and objective measures to the otherwise ambiguous and curious realm of nature. This is important to me because human formation is very important to me, and so it is essential to understand properly the foundation from which we develop.

Visual Cloud

Big Ideas and Artmaking

I found it fascinating to differentiate between big idea, theme, and subject matter. An artist can maintain a big idea as a thread through all their various projects, while delineating different themes, and using altogether different subject matter depending on the project. I suppose that as we are all individuals, a big idea may be something that is critical to who we are and how we see the world. Not unlike Paul Pfeiffer's work continually revisiting the themes of unmasking and reality. No matter what his subject matter: whether athletes or nature, he emphasizes the peripheral in order to highlight the frivolity of many things upon which humans fixate and adore.

"Rules and systems represent human attempts to impose order and meaning." This concept from the creative yet systematic work of Jennifer Bartlett seems more akin to a designer's approach than it does an artist. Those two disciplines overlap, yet I think many feel that creativity is stifled, if not absent altogether, if something is too regimented. The process we are undergoing with doing word associations, rough drafts of our works, and photo hunts--all add to a process that in fact aids the creative process, however regimented it may feel.

I understand how a designer can focus on research toward a specific end, and I am experiencing now how an artist might do the same. For someone who doesn't consider himself an artist, this is very encouraging for I may actually end up with a thought-out and effective final project.

rough draft.

I chose identity for my big idea. Identity is something which pervades so much of what it is to be human, even stretching to inanimate objects. What constitutes a person, and what highlights them differently so than another? Do objects have specific characteristics and if they do, especially human characteristics, how do those come to be? Are they innate or ascribed? Is the identity of individual people innate or fabricated solely per their social circumstances? The concept of identity is so core to the human experience that an artist can't help but address it either directly or inadvertently. Works that disregard the importance of identity fail to tap into the considerations of the viewer, and may fall short of their potential impact.

In my brainstorming i simply worked from the terms "identity" and "self." Each individual term can be a subset of the other. Were "identity" to be couched within "self," the result would consider what marks that one self against another. Were the opposite true, it would be to consider the way in which a self is established within the massive concept which is identity.

Cbus Native Designs His Own Boutique

via columbusalive.com

from the look of the site to what products he carries, and everything in between, Greg sees and creates like a designer.

check out the article, and his online clothing boutique.
fringeoutfitters.com
@fringeoutfitter .twitter

Type at work in the real world.

via fontsinuse.com

i have an Ideo...

you may have noticed that part of my bio states: 

i like a lot of [various] things things and i used to think that was a problem. 

      i may have a future in logistics, in solving the needs you have. 

 

the video we watched this past week covered Ideo--a design company which employs a creative team of people in their design process.  they tackle projects in what they call a “Deep Dive”: an exploration of the task at hand from many different angles.  in designing a model for a new shopping cart, the team analyzed psychological, social/anthropological, economic, and of course design viewpoints in drafting designs and brainstorming through to the final product.  a phrase emerged in their explanation of how they operate; that, they are “not experts at any given area, but experts at the process.” that idea resonates with the snippet from my blog and how i feel about my education and life experience. 

 

 

“Enlightened trial and error succeeds over the planning of the lone genius.”

 

 

that concept is fundamental to Ideo’s approach strategy.  by empowering each member with the freedom to create, even create poorly, they open more possibilities for success.  one bad idea might be a stepping stone to many others.  

 

overall, the process reminds me of free association in the beginning of a writing process.  by “brain dumping” loads of ideas onto paper, the probability that a good idea will emerge is increased greatly.  on the surface it doesn’t seem that failing with many products seems like a good use of time, but in the case of Ideo their success precedes them.  i don’t enjoy the journey of things overall, but rather the results.  i want to get it right the first time, but as we covered in the design process, it seems most designers are not banking on that.

 

i find that ruminating over a topic produces good results in most cases.  it is true that time equals money, but also true that haste yields waste.  in the endeavor to create appealing products/spaces/communications, there is measurable wisdom in refining one’s craft to a point far beyond “satisfactory.”  i suspect that merely satisfactory designs don’t yield the type of returning, customer-begetting customers that truly successful designers enjoy.

 

big idea blast.

origin.

where do we come from and where are we going. is there some purpose or meaning or significance to life or is it simply random causality. can we truly know in either case? are there privileged mystics/saints/shamans who know such things. is this the matrix? is all this just a means to another end, and therefore meaningless or inconsequential?


compassion.

why are some people considerate and some people are evil/self-serving? is compassion an inherent trait or can it be taught or developed? does compassion serve some greater end; is it an anomaly within an otherwise messed up world? is love that important or merely a nice feeling? is compassion a weakness? Jesus/faith/servanthood/mission. women seem more compassionate than men, generally. does compassion break down at some point into futility--is it futile to have compassion on those who squander it or return it in no way?


war.

"war, what is it good for?!" we should go to war always with tears. war seems necessary and inevitable at times. war also seems horrible and terrifying. no one wants war but everyone wants vengeance/retribution/justice. is there a way that diplomacy can override war altogether or is war always necessary in a world where evil rulers threaten others?

simple survey.

assignment:
Step 1: Create a simple survey of at least five (5) questions.
Step 2: Administer the survey to a sampling of people.
Step 3: Document the answers in a way that is INTERESTING and READABLE.
(for instance, as a graph, spreadsheet, infographic, or as a pictogram.

subtext: the assignment is not about testing a hypothesis, nor about conducting a rigid scientific experiment.  it is about representing information in an effective and creative way.

 

my procedure: on the morning of January 14th i posted my survey questions to my Facebook wall, along with simple guidelines and a disclaimer.  i received 31 responses via that method, and also presented the questions to 3 other friends for a total of 34 responses.  here is the questionairre as it was posted, along with my interpretation of the results:

FB friends: I am going to be posting a brief, 5-question survey in a bit which is for a class assignment. I'D LOVE YOU TO PARTICIPATE!! I need a good sample, so don't exclude yourself by age, closeness to me, political/religious/other lines!! Responses will be anonymous in the report...

DISCLAIMERS: 
1) again, your name will not be included in the results. if you want to participate but don't want it on my wall, then just message me (via FB please) your response.
1b) if you think someone else would want to participate, share this and have them message me
2) this is for a design class and more about how I report the data, than about conducting a scientifically significant survey. i've tried to pick items which are broad, some light and some serious, which hopefully anyone would be familiar with. 
3) whatever the simplistic nature of this survey I will ABSOLUTELY NOT manipulate the data to say something it does not (I might draw loose conclusions, but not establish theories based on this data alone). i respect you my friends, and I equally respect the process as well and am approaching it scientifically. thank you.

QUESTIONS:
1. YES/NO Do you drink coffee on a regular basis (2+ cups per week)?
2. YES/NO Do you use any alternative transportation on a regular basis (like a bicycle, walking, or bus/carpool; 2+ times per week or during certain seasons all the time).
3. YES/NO Is education beyond high-school intrinsically beneficial? 
4. WIKILEAKS/WORLD CUP  Which event last year was more important (had a larger impact, greater implications, etc): the Wikileaks release of more than 250,000 private diplomatic correspondences, OR, that the world cup was held on the African continent for the first time in the Cup's history. 
5. TRAVEL DOMESTIC/ABROAD If you had vacation/free time, and money and all else being equal (not factors to consider) would you rather travel somewhere within your own country, or somewhere outside your country?

 

RESULTS:

in the bar graph i divided each question between the two possible responses.

 

in the pie graph i show only the highest response from each question.

 

thoughts/conclusions:

because the large majority of people i polled were from one source, the general congruence in responses is not surprising.  had i interviewed people that i didn't know (even though many who responded I know only as acquaintances) i might have seen a more even spread within the different questions.  that applies also in that only 6 of the 34 responses were from people who have an age difference of greater than 10 years, from the average age of the majority.  further, the sample size was not very large (n=34) so if i were to perform the survey again with greater reach i'm sure i'd see more of a normal distribution in responses.

but...this is Design.  i have a fantastic program with which i was able to enter my collected data and after some adjustments to color, font, etc, produce clean and discernible results.  i am confident that if i were to be presented with other data shown in a similar fashion, i would be able to draw clear inferences from the data set.  perhaps there will be more to glean from this exercise, but for now i'll let you consider the results, and share comments if you want to make any observations or inferences you deduce.

 

IBM Centennial Film: They Were There - People who changed the way the world works

a bit of history. remember, design at its base is about problem solving. you start by asking the right question and you succeed if you answer it effectively. here is a story about a company who has done that time after time, in significant ways.

via youtube.com

more than meets the eye.

in "Design: A Very Short Introduction" John Heskett begins by declaring that rather than design being "banal and inconsequential...if considered seriously and used responsibly, design should be the crucial anvil on which the human environment, in all its detail, is shaped and constructed for the betterment and delight of all."  his general thesis in the beginning is that "design is one of the basic characteristics of what it is to be human, and an essential determinant of the quality of human life."

he later begins to explore the history of design, ranging from artisans and guilds in the distant past, converting to people who were concerned with the ability to mass produce objects, on to the thoughtful process of aesthetic and function. Heskett opines that design is essentially a human characteristic, as we bend away from the precedent found in nature and move to create enhanced extensions of ourselves.  "objects, communications, environments, systems, and identities," are the buckets for his focus of design as not merely a questions of how to make something, but of the meaning created and interplay aroused between objects and their users.  

the general feel of his discussion is that design is less a focused discipline (which it is) and more an approach to life.  i've mentioned my roommate and product design graduate before, and he commented the same.  in his experience he simply approaches life like this already, and "sees" in this way naturally.  of course he was aided in the process through school, but in comparison with other students, he can see where education helps to an extent,  but natural ability is not transferrable.  one can be taught technique, but not vision.

 

would you pay me if I did this?!

my primary interest in this class was to increase my capacity for seeing and thinking through a customer's perspective as business has been and will be a part of my life.  what I am encountering is much more than I bargained for and i'm very excited, and a bit unsettled, to see what changed take place as I learn how to see and approach problems as a designer.  as a custom painter who learned from a lineage of very successful teachers, i am already hyper-aware of how finishes are applied in every space i visit.  i can only image what the similar gifting and curse will create in the study of design.  

 

...or, if I did this?

i'm already evaluating how i communicate and how it is perceived.  i'm weighing what route i want to pursue for livelihood and the possibility of some sort of business/logistics interplay with design as a focus.  amongst the millions of phenomenal business ideas and creative products in the marketplace, it is not for lack of good ideas that success evades people.  i am beginning to see that presentation and an adherence to a thought-out process of creation and evaluation have much more to do with success than simply coincidence.  

this article is about a computer company who reflects that theory--that successful design is worked hard for, not tripped over luckily. 

Paul Rand, or when I realized that Design≠Art necessarily.

"Conversations with Paul Rand" was very frank.  a few days of a reporter and a camera following around the world-renowned designer who was black and white in his descriptions of the design process and what distinguishes quality design.
 

"things are either right or they're wrong."

"like children: honest; did what they thought rather than try to impress anyone with their skill."
 

perhaps it is a modern convention which encourages us to think only in shades of gray; i.e., as long as someone is "sincere" or "tried their darnedest" or is "original," suddenly their work is immune to further critique. for a designer whose ubiquitous logos anyone in the US (perhaps most of the globe) would recognize, there was no doubt that things can be wrong, or bad.

my experience with "art" is limited.  i experienced my grandfather who provided a good life for his wife and their kids as a commercial fine artist.  i used to chalk up his black and white world-view, not unlike Rand's, to his modernist conditioning.  then i met my painting apprentice.  a graduate from OSU's Product Design program, my age, grew up in the midwest as i did, and had similar social experiences growing up.  he too has a very black and white perspective on the arts, on music, and definitely Design.

it doesn't feel altogether polite to say, "that is poorly designed."  yet if we began discussing our phones and why i have the one which i do, i would not hesitate to let you hold it and feel the crisp edges, smooth screen and solid switches.  i would let you interact with the touchscreen and see how the user interface is the best on the market.  (i suspect you'd do the same if you're proud of what you have).  certain products evoke a stronger response from us and it is when our true feelings rise up above the ambiguity and politeness we would otherwise employ, that we get down to the (hopefully well-designed) brass tacks.

again, my experience with art as a discipline is minimal, but i've seen things presented as art which don't convey a message clearly and are not utilitarian in a way that is plain to me.  Rand said that "a work of art is when form and content fuse."  it's not my place nor my ability (yet) to critique what art is or is not, but i am seeing more clearly how Design must command content and form.

as i continue learning to see per this new concentration, i am appreciating when the function of a device is impeccable and it is packaged in as clean and terrific a body as could be conceived for something of its kind.  

Verizon iPhone

via youtube.com

welcome to the family, to a smartphone that lives up to its name.

patterns.

assignment: discover patterns around you and record your 10 favorite here.

 

what, when, where, why.
[click images to enlarge]
 

1. paisley; 1.17.11; home

+i am fascinated by Paisley, in general.  i was pondering its origin with a friend recently.

2. flowers; 1.17.11; home

+this is the fabric for a Western-style button down men's shirt.  fascinating that the historically rugged west adorned its heroes with such loud and distinct coverings.
3. cross; 1.17.11; home

+men's shirt.  a higher-quality fabric with rich colors, strong fabric, and contemporary look.  a lot going on yet not overwhelming.
4. stripes; 1.17.11; home

+men's shirt.  a much more subdued and "professional" pattern.
5. brick; 1.16.11; walkway off High St, OSU

+i pass this daily and while i appreciate it aesthetically and from a craftsman's perspective, i wonder at the choice of it.  was it in the original design or was it added in by the artisan?
6. tile; 1.16.11; marble shingles, Knowlton School of Architecture, OSU

+another aesthetically intricate and beautiful design, another question.  do marble tiles arrayed in this way stand up over time longer?
7. barcelona; 1.16.11; Barcelona Chair by Miles van der Rohe, Knowlton, OSU

+the classic pattern is still gorgeous.
8. corrugated; 1.16.11; wainscoting, Chipotle Mexican Grille, High St

+gorgeous food and gorgeous architecture in the restaurant, even with simple materials.
9. steel lattice; 1.16.11; passageway near Wexner Center for the Arts, OSU

+the third design pattern that catches my eye frequently, but begs the architectural question less.   currently the diagonal hangings in the image are a series of fluorescent bulbs that alight in a rainbow color sequence.
10. windows; 1.16.11; Denney Hall, OSU

+an ominous, metered wall of windows, softened by the sunset.  solid, unvarying, beautiful.