Sustainable Innovations

In his lecture about the sustainability and innovatins, Nathan Shedroff points out the increasing importance of being multi-talented by being able to integrating the design, business and sustainability together to create new products that are better for the environment and consumers.

He described how the Western societies are trapped within a world run by corporations and consumerism. The designers are not forced to sit down and think about ways to solve the problem, but they design purely to make money.

On the contrary, there are places where they used creativity and sustainability to solve their problems. One example Shedroff gave was of Curitiba Brazil. Their designers were forced to sit down and address their limitations; the small budget and not being able to build subway systems underground. Their solution? A bus system that runs like a subway, above ground!


http://covblogs.com/eatingbark/archives/800px-Bus_Stops_2_curitiba_brasil.jpg

This solution is sustainable by saving money and materials it would have used if it was built below grounds. Not only does it solve the problem, it also gives way to a pleasing design that brightens up the city.

Just because a subway system was originally designed for the underground, doesn't mean that there cannot be creative uses for the same content. This new and innovative way of thinking is just what we need in this society. We need to step out of our rut and keep thinking sustainable.

Objectify Our "Things"

Gary Hustwit’s film, Objectified, looks deeply into the relationship between object and people. It takes on the aspects of the designer's point of view, the manufacturer's point of view, and even the consumer's point of view. Consumerism drives our economy today. We look to new and "innovative" products to stay trendy and amused. Some might even say that we want to personify ourselves with the products that surround us. Companies and designers capitalize on this need for new things so they can keep selling new products. A very good example of this would be cars.

"Cars are the biggest and most abundant set of sculptures that we have in contact everyday in our lives." - Chris Bangle, Former Design Director of BMW Group.

In the film, Bangle describes how cars are made to last through time. To keep the consumer interested, care are designed so that the consumers will feel emotion when looking at the car.

http://themotorreport.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/bolwell_front.jpg

Most cars have faces, we tend create objects the mimic ourselves and see it as an extension of how we are, how we feel. As Scott McCloud once said, “we assign identities and emotions where none exist.”

Creative Combo

As it was pointed out one day in lecture, vision is an active process. It is mainly subjective, not objective. To be able to play on vision is a great way to be creative and innovative.


http://www.optical-illusions.in/illusions/tigerface_scary_optical_illusion.jpg

In the object above, the artist creates a new composition by combining a human hand print with a lion's face. This new combination gives new meaning to the composition. It created more depth. When a viewer looks at it, they are forced to ask themselves, "Why? Why has the artist chose to combine the two objects this way?" Maybe the artist was trying to gain more support to help conserve and protect wildlife habitats.

To be able to look outside the box for creative solutions is a great tool to have as a designer. Creating things that are different will set a person above the bar.

Designed Just For Me?

When I was a child, I never picked up a book and thought, "Wow, this book really caters to my needs!" There are many things that designers take a lot of time and effort into making, but never really receive the credit they deserve.


http://www.grouchyoldcripple.com/archives/children12.jpg

Take a children's picture book for example. The colors and pictures are designed to attract little kids. The text is made big and simple for readability, and the content and story interacts with each other for unity and understanding.

Such a small and seemingly simple thing took a lot of hard work and thought to make, but people really take for granted how it came to be like that in the first place. Another example could be traffic lights.


http://weathermachine.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/traffic-light.jpg

This object was intricately designed to facilitate efficiency and safety. Even the placement of the colors were standardized so that people with color blindness could use the same system. But in our everyday lives, how many people actually stop to thank the person who designed this thing? Just picture how the world would be without traffic lights. Shouldn't we recognize these invisible designers that facilitate our way of living more often?

Why is That "In"

In our struggle to be trendy and fashionable, we never really stop to think, "How am I different from the others that buy the same thing?"

Webster's dictionary defines fashionable as:

1.	observant of or conforming to the fashion; stylish: a fashionable young woman.

2.	of, characteristic of, used, or patronized by the world of fashion: a fashionable shop.

3.	current; popular: a fashionable topic of conversation.

In other words, copying the "trend" and being the same as everyone else.


http://alicebag.com/scoopedbythejapanese1.jpg

Companies spend billions and billions of dollars each year promoting and selling their products. They advertise in magazines, TV commercial, billboards, and tons of other places they can grab hold of.

And why do we listen and follow the trend? Society tends to ostracize people who are different, deem the "weird" and don't try to understand them. But at the same time, we praise people who are different and innovative. Take for example, the new music sensation Lady Gaga. Her fashion is odd and strange to the average person, yet people look up to her like a goddess.


http://www.sugarslam.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/lady-gaga.jpg

The world works in strange ways, if there was a formula for success, we'd all be on the same level. But what really sets us apart? How do we make something that will please everyone but still be different and new?

Colors and Perception; Mixing Our View

Color theory is a rather complex thing to analyze, but we must admit that colors make our world a lot more interesting. Color lets us decide is a vegetable is fresh, whether if an article of clothing is attractive, and so on. How we perceive colors can give a whole new meaning to the object we are looking at.


http://www.michaelarnoldart.com/ChuckClose05.jpg

The image above is a self portrait by artist Chuck Close. When the portrait is enlarged, the viewer can distinguish a diamond pattern filled with different colors. Chuck Close realizes that the human eye tends to mix colors that are similar together. He places similar colors close together in small areas so that the viewer will automatically recognize a unified form from this pattern.


http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2449/3877162147_8095e1a6a2.jpg

When the color is taken out, this close up of one of Chuck Close's portraits become much less unified and the bigger picture is harder to distinguish. The value of the colors still remains, so our eyes still strain itself to make sense of this pattern.

comics; closure at work

In Scott McCloud's book, Understanding comics, McCloud brings up the idea of closure. McCloud defines closure as "This phenomenon of observing the parts but perceiving the whole." We can take fragmented dots of half-tone prints and observe a picture from it. If you look carefully at newspapers or certain types of print, you will notice that the images we see are made of clusters of dots. We can perceive them as a whole because of the proximity of these clusters that creates an illusion of the image.


http://www.allcatsaregrey.co.uk/images/scans/comics/Understanding-Comics-p61.png
We can perceive a whole person standing even though the frame is cut off, we sense time and space by moving through panels in a comic book with fragmented scenes. When reading a comic, we wouldn't say "This is the upperhalf of a body with no legs." Through closure, we assume that the real person is there and move on with the story.



https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbdJUXAFHsVbMCfsTUuPi_tCr1M9aW83D-TNvJm2NJWmrJspxm1EHxqcY9X84DAuF_xiJDX-64xEpX5n9895kqgJsuhiWZS_OmlShqZUIRMAWCemDHIsASClNA1tFZoI6xFbVcPOJPRAR/s320/understandingcomics.gif

We can even sense time and space within the different frames of comics. The panels run linearly with fragmented captures of different scenes. Without closure, a comic would just be a bunch of illustrations of separate events without a story, pictures would be just a dot, and a lot of thigns wouldn't make sense.

Quilts: More Than Just a Blanket

The Nelson Art Gallery is currently holding an exhibition from September 24th till December 13th showcasing African American Quilts. The quilts are not only beautiful but also has a rich history embedded within every stitch and fabric. The different materials (such as: corduroy, velvet, satin, and taffeta) used within the quilts accent the rich and beautiful colors. The African American slaves had to use whatever materials they could find to create a new usable quilt. Every little piece seems to tell a different story.

One of the pieces called “Piano Keys” by Avis Collins Robinson plays on the name that the strips of fabric looks like actually piano keys. But unlike the dull black and white piano keys, this quilt is rich in shades of blue, red, yellow, and orange. The repeated shapes all lined vertically creates a sense of unity within the piece even though it has a lot of crazy colors. This creates a sense of visual rhythm that brings the whole piece together. Some might even say that if you look hard enough, you might see hills, sky, and a sunset. It seems as though the creator took time out to compose the different colors in a meaningful and pleasing way, expressing their creativity within this everyday object.

Fashion; Do We Really Need it?

As Halloween comes around, there are many colorful and playful costumes around. But it doesn't take a genius to see that there are people who are uncomfortable in their costume. This brings to mind how fashion hasn't always been reasonable.

Some people see fashion as a statement, an indicator of social status, a tool. There are practical uses for protective clothing (firemen's suits, bee masks, etc.), but there are also many unnecessary qualities that people embrace. It's not sure when fashion really came about, but there are clues that they have been around for thousands of years. There have been drawings, paintings, and even a few article of clothing that has been preserved throughout history that shows us the importance of fashion.


http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/England-History/QueenElizabethCoronation.jpg
Royalty would use it as a symbol of wealth. They would adorn unnecessary ornaments and cumbersome clothing just to say, "I'm wealthy enough to wear this." Sometimes it gets so extravagant, the wearer can't even move around in their respected "fashionable clothes". But this does not matter because it shows that wealthy people don't need to do mundane daily chores and can be waited on day and night by servants.


http://badcontrol.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/foot-binding-6.jpg

An extreme example of painful fashion would be feet binding in China. It was said that the smaller the foot was, the more exotic and beautiful the women becomes. Girls often start wrapping their feet at an early age, breaking the arches of their foot, and stuffing them into small decorative shoes. Parents would subject little girls, sometimes even toddlers, to this painful practice in order to be accepted into society and attract a husband.

Is it really worth it to subject oneself to pain and discomfort, just to show up the next person?

Grids Grids Everywhere

Most of us don't really bother to spend a few more minutes to scrutinize the designs that are all around us. Take web page building for example, how many of us actually sit down and look at the web page and say, "Oh! I see the grid structure behind all this elaborate artwork!" In our society, most people take for granted the simplest things like the grid structure. The grid structure gives us a sense of balance and order.


http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/images/css-grid-layout-samples.png
Here is an illustration of many different layouts that can be used as an under structure to website building. It organizes information for friendly usability (how easy it is to navigate around the webpage), and the most efficient way of conveying information.

If you take a closer look, even this blog is evenly structured with a grid for asethetics and to allow the users to go through the web page quickly without having to search around and waste time for the information they need.

In this fast-paced world that we live in today, we tend to take for granted things that make our life more efficient and pleasing.

2D vs 3D

Even though 2D designs are things on a flat medium, there are many ways to achieve a more dynamic composition and dimension without ever having to stray off your canvas.


http://www.headstandmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/citibank-center.jpg

Here in this illustration of a building, the artist manipulates scale and perspective in order to achieve a realistic look. The things that are supposedly closer to the viewer is larger in scale and more detailed than the things in the back. This is one way to achieve a 3Dimensional feel on a 2Dimensional medium. There is also an emphasis of a focal point. The road tends to lead the eye towards the building, which is the main subject of this illustration.

http://www.asu.edu/cfa/wwwcourses/art/SOACore/scale_interact/floorplan.gif

In the floor plan above, there is no juxtaposition of scaling to make the illustration seem more realistic. The objects are scaled to a proportion of the real size and everything lays flat on the page.


http://techhouse.brown.edu/~mjm/sandiego/l3.JPG
This is a scaled model of the Sydney Opera House. The model is scaled according to the proportions of the real Opera House. Through the manipulation of size and scale, the artist is able to fit all the details of the original opera house into a smaller model. This creates a sense of realism for the viewer, and may even create an illusion of looking at the real Opera House from a distance.

Some 2 Dimensional and 3 Dimensional art (like the examples above) utilizes scale and proportion to create a sense of realism and depth. Though the medium is different, the techniques used creates an illusion for the viewer, allowing their minds to imagine depth to the structure.

EMPHASIZE!

In our world today, there are a lot of advertisements and things trying to gain our attention. Whether if you're trying to sell your paintings or if you're trying to sell a product, there are many ways to attract people.


http://digital-photography-school.com/wp-content/focal-point.jpg
Sometimes, it is more pleasing to have fewer focal points for the viewer to focus on so they can appreciate the beauty and simplicity of an everyday object. Take the flower above for example: The photographer blurs the rest of the flower but leaves the intricate center sharp and vivid, allowing the viewer's eyes to flow easily towards the subject. This contrasting method does not necessarily have to be done through aperture settings or blurring an artwork, it can also be done with colors, elements of shapes, and tone.


http://www.laurentbrouat.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Isolation.jpg

Another way to bring attention to your subject is through isolation. In this picture, the man is the only thing surrounded by plain monotone walls. This not only draws all your attention towards the man, but it also gives emphasis on the man's body language and emotion. The man is isolated and in despair.

Finding Inspirations

Some people expect to be able to come up with great ideas just looking at a piece of blank paper, but for all they know, they were influenced by the medium that they're using (the type of paper, a pen/pencil, etc). A person can draw different types of lines whit a mechanical pencil as opposed to a regular yellow #2 pencil.

Everyone has times when they are in a writer's block, drawing a blank, or simply cannot come up with ideas for their designs or artwork. A way to remedy this brain fart can be to look outside the box for inspirations and ideas. Step back and take a look around and try to see the details of the world. There are artists that uses organic materials from nature to make a beautiful expression, architects bend and shape metals to create interesting shapes and houses, designers that use recycled materials for everyday objects.

When working on a project, it is important to do sufficient research to see what is being represented and in what ways it can be done. But most importantly, don't forget to take inspiration outside yourself and make it your own. People can be inspired from many different things. A person can combine great ideas outside themselves into a composition totally of their own.

The Creative Process; A Neverending Cycle

Thinking -> Looking -> Doing -> Criticism -> Doing -> Refining -> Doing

Some people say a designer's work is never done. The creative process can be anywhere from long to short, fruitful to unsuccessful. No matter what you do to a design, it can always be changed or refined. Take a look at this image of Pepsi-Cola's logos and Coca-Cola's logos taken from this blog post about their ever changing design:
http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/coca-cola_vs_pepsi_revised_edition.php#comments


After more than a century of product placement, their logo changes or gets tweaked. No matter how much work you've put into it, there can always be improvements or change.

1. You start out with creating an idea.
2. Look around for ideas and inspirations.
3. Make your design.
4. Have critiques and analyze.
5. Refine.
6. Critique and analyze.
7. Refine.

But where do we stop? The creator has to decide when they are satisfied enough let the design go into production or when to stop refinement. It is important to not limit yourself, but still necessary to set goals and boundaries.

The Visual World - logos

Some of the world's most recognizable logos include the Coca-Cola trademark, McDonald's golden arches, the Nike swoosh logo, and the Google logo. I bet you were able to picture the logos in your mind even without me posting a picture of each of these different identities. Here's a quick article on the world's 15 most recognizable logos: http://bizcovering.com/marketing-and-advertising/the-world%E2%80%99s-most-recognizable-symbols-and-trademarks/

Our culture relies heavily of visuals for quick identification and judgment before we even decide if we're interested enough to waste our precious time browsing through their products. It takes time for a logo's credibility is achieved and recognized throughout the world.

Companies spend billions of dollars on advertisements just to get their logos recognized and seen. have you ever considered looking into buying a product simply because you saw it in a commercial or magazine ad? If you take a look around, there are hardly anyplace that advertisements haven't touched : our mail, web pages, magazines, school bulletin boards, text messages, etc. Familiarity will make a product more appealing and comfortable, as opposed to a new product that you've never seen or heard of.

Design plays an important part of the advertising world. It is their job to make things appealing while communicating effectively and efficiently. In our ever busy world, it is their job to facilitate the conversation between the sellers and the buyers, which in the end makes keeps our economy rolling.

Design? What?

If you went around asking people for their definition of design, you'd probably get many different answers. It can be a noun or a verb, depending on how you define it. Lets look at some definitions courtesy of http://dictionary.reference.com

–verb (used with object)

1.	to prepare the preliminary sketch or the plans for (a work to be executed), esp. to plan the form and structure of: to design a new bridge.

–verb (used without object)

7.	to make drawings, preliminary sketches, or plans.

8.	to plan and fashion the form and structure of an object, work of art, decorative scheme, etc.

–noun

9.	an outline, sketch, or plan, as of the form and structure of a work of art, an edifice, or a machine to be executed or constructed.

This one is my favorite:

15.	designs, a hostile or aggressive project or scheme having evil or selfish motives: He had designs on his partner's stock.

It seems that design can be a variation of the process to specific objects or the thing described. Many people would only focus on one aspect of this broad definition.

No matter what the definition is, it should be agreed that design is beneficial to everyone within our world. The designer gets the joy of creating something new and appealing (not to mention the money), the consumer gets to benefit from the aesthetics (the beauty), and the function of such designs. Whether design is the process or the thing created, it is an important part of society. It makes things more pleasurable and unique, more accessible and beneficial. Would anything be created without design??

The Invisible Designers

Most people seems take design for granted, going through everyday life without thinking about why things are the way they are. Take for instance, the mouse you use to navigate through the computer. There are many shapes, colors, sizes, and types. Some consumers may look at different designs for their own purposes; an ergonomic design mouse, a small travel size mouse, a pen tablet... but most people just look at the price and brand of the product without ever thinking about the people and the process it took to make an ordinary everyday product like a computer mouse.

Take a look at this article about the inventor of the computer mouse:
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9704/09/mouse.inventor/index.html
Doug Engelbart, the inventor of the mouse, does not get royalties for every mouse that is sold, he was only paid $10,000 for his invention. Most people who use his product have never even heard of his name!




















http://weburbanist.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/mouse_1.jpg


Product designers make our days more efficient and comfortable through the things that they make. A shampoo bottle that dispenses smoothly, car keys with remote buttons to lock our cars, even pencils have grips that makes it more comfortable for us to take notes in class. Society tends to overlook these people that put so much work into designing our things, but they are the people that make things more lively and enjoyable. These "invisible designers" deserve more applause and recognition.

Unrecognized designers, I salute you.

King Tut Exhibition Review (San Francisco)

The King Tut exhibition is one that should not be missed. From the beginning till the end, the whole exhibition seems like one big roller coaster ride.

You begin inside a dark room with a video presentation about the history of King Tutankhamen (King Tut). King Tut ascended the throne when he was 9-years old, and ruled to the age of 19, when he mysteriously died. His predecessor had done away with all the Gods and only worshiped one (the Sun God), which threw Egypt into turmoil.

The Tutankhamen exhibit has exquisite and rare artifacts like the head of colossal statue of Amenhotep. Two big blue symbols called life-symbols stood in the first chamber, that looks like the modern man and woman sign. If we take a closer look at these artifacts, we can see that a lot of things in our society have been inspired by the Egyptians. Their use of cottons and linen, makeup and eye-coal, and even their fashion has trickled into some of our top fashion designers' clothing lines.

The Egyptians really had a knack for details. A closer inspection of their jewelry will reveal intricate patterns and design, symbols, names, and colors that all attribute to the beauty of their style. The types of material are specifically selected for the thing it is made into.

Go see the real thing while it lasts, reading about it online cannot compare to the real thing! The exhibit is open till March 2010.