A little color for everyone_ color transforms

     Since its release in September 2005, the iPod nano has been every shade under the sun. Each model's launch delivers a new spectrum of hues for the miniature mp3 players. The iPod nano's wide variety offers a shade for everyone. Thus, the ipod's hue that appeals to a consumer's eye most will be the one purchased. 

     Although the iPod Nano comes in approximately the same color options with each release, they are offered in different hues ranging from soft, metallic pastels to rich, shinny neons. In regard to Alber's thesis that color is subjective in his book "The Interaction of Color", everyone perceives the Nano's hues differently. One who might love the newest generation's emerald green may disdain the great grandparent version's sea foam green. He or she may love the color green, but only when it is the rich green that attracts their eye and likeness as found coloring the newest version.  

     Apple's design team's decision to change the color of the Nano's hues with each generation that is released is a great way for Apple to sell millions of iPod's. With each launch, an individual will grow fond to a particular one above the rest. Due to our nature to crave to possess the latest piece of technology, we convince ourselves to purchase a new model. Thus, by offering a new model of iPod, not only offered in nine colors, but in nine never-before-seen hues, the number of people who feel the need to purchase the new Nano is exponential. That same green iPod will be just the right shade of green for so many people even though they may be perceiving it differently. 

**Images above depict Apple's Nano in order from newest (excluding the model most recently released) to oldest

Cred:

http://gearpatrol.com/blog/2009/09/09/apple-ipod-nano-video-mic-pedometer-fm-radio/ipod-nano-with-video-colors-horiztonal/

http://www.slipperybrick.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/ipod_nanos.jpg

http://www.gadget.ca/Go-Pink-This-Valentines-Day-016800.php

Designed to Improve Society

     Here at UC Davis in the dorms, housing services provide every room with two recycle bins, one for paper and one for cans and bottles. These bins are specifically designed to improve the recycling habits of the UC Davis campus by making it extremely easy to throw away waste. Also, they are crafted to not take up too much space in the small quarters they are used in. Complete with a lip along their insides, the containers have the ability to stack on top of one another to save space. A college student is more inclined to keep the bins in their room if they do not interfere with more important objects in his or her room. Also, the bins have handles to make transporting the recycles easy. One cannot complain about having to change a bag or about his or her inability to move an awkwardly shaped receptacle. In addition, the containers are color coded so one can make associations. One can quickly pick up that blue means paper and green means cans. With time, one's brain does not even have to think about what goes where, but does it naturally. The University makes a smart move when keeping recycling simple and easy by narrowing it down to two bins. While they are asking you to sort your waste, it is not that extensive. Recycling may require just a bit more effort but they make it simple and accessible enough to where even the laziest student has no problem doing so. 

     These bins are aiming to improve UC Davis' "society" by making it extremely simple to recycle and thus reuse our waste instead of throwing it away. By recycling we are wasting less and helping Davis, California, The United States, the Earth, become a "green" planet. Dreams of creating such a place is extremely Utopian in theory but by using these bins and recycling our waste we are one step closer to making that a reality. 

Cred:

My personal iPhone, photographer in my dorm room 

Design is DANGEROUS

     The pizza cutter. Designed to make pizza slicing fast and easy, this kitchen utensil has DANGER written all over it. What makes such a useful tool so dangerous? With its large, sharp cutting surface, it's user puts his or her fingers in the line of fire. Get your hands, arms, fingers, knuckles, to close and you could find yourself with a deep gash in the blink of an eye. The joint with which the blade is attached allows the sharp blade to move freely and continuously. Also, due to the use of smooth metal, the blade meets no traction at its joint and can spin freely and quickly. Because of this, the cutter can easily slip or glide out of control, leaving its user with a wound. In regard to the specific cutter pictured above, the smooth, sanded handle provides no grip and can easily become slippery when covered in ingredients or the standard pizza grease. When too slick to get a good hold of, the cutter has a higher chance of failing at its job, cutting you rather than your pizza. 
     Although you risk loosing a finger when using the cutter, the object was not designed to be such a danger. On paper, this design is genius; no more hacking away at your pizza with a knife, just simply roll the cutter right on through to quickly and evenly divide up your pie. 

     Not until the injuries began "rolling in" did the design of these cutters change. Today one can find new cutters on the market that offer greater safety. For example, the inclusion of a gel-like handle offers greater grip and thus increased control of the blade. Also, some companies have redesigned their tools with guards against accidental injuries. The inclusion of plastic guards and placement of the handle over the plastic, incased blade leaves your hand free from injury even if it happens to slip out of your greasy hand. 


Cred:
http://thewhitedsepulchre.blogspot.com/2009_07_26_archive.html
http://gadgether.com/bizarre-kitchen-gadgets/

Ergonomics, meet Camel No.9

The well-identified cigarette. With ten million being sold every minute worldwide (1), the cigarette is a well-known object. Cigarettes are the most advertised product in the United States (2). You can find them anywhere: in your magazines, on billboards, on the BART train. Companies use bright colors, catchy slogans and embellished characters to appeal their youthful audience. For example, Camel brand cigarettes uses their Joe Camel symbol along with targeting specific audiences, to sell their products. While its use can lead to lung cancer and even death, The Camel No.9, with an attention to detail and ease of use and consumption, is a successfully-designed product.

We all know it’s true that cigarettes are terrible for you. Tobacco kills one person every ten seconds (3) and they are still being sold accessibly and legally. Nothing about this product offers you much safety. In regard to a cigarette advocate, the Camel No.9 is a light cigarette so it offers you less tobacco and nicotine. Also, it has a filter that blocks the “bad things” that could go through. While they do offer this nice feature, it really offers little to no protection. Let’s be honest, your smoking tobacco and nicotine, the leading cause of lung cancer, the disease which kills more people a year than AIDs, drug abuse, car accidents and homicide combined (4)! Camel advertises the inclusion of a filter and being “light”, in order to appeal to its feminine female audience, who appreciate feeling and looking healthy. This is a smart tactic in order to boost sales and truly appeal to their target audience. The actually object of the cigarette is not safe to use or consume, but Camel uses smart methods to give the illusion of a “healthier” cigarette.

People have mixed reviews on their comfort level, or like-ability of the No.9 depending on where they are in their smoking career. From reading reviews, it is clear that the products contained in the cigarette are concocted to appeal to a new smoker. Almost all seasoned smokers claim the No.9 cigarettes feel like “sucking air through a straw”(5). It makes sense that Camel would create a cigarette appealing to novice smokers in correlation to the name, packaging, and appearance of their product. Camel made a smart move to cater their ingredients to a younger, more feminine set.

 The No.9 Camel is very easy to use, both in terms of ease at where to buy and how to use them. The specific cigarette can be found in most gas stations, corner stores, and mini marts that litter modern America’s towns and cities. Almost anywhere in the United States can one find any of these retail locations and pick oneself up a feminized pack of Camel’s. Camel’s are sold everywhere, and are easy to find if you want them. The box of the cigarette is easy to open and unfold. One can simply withdraw their cigarette from the pack, balance it carefully between his or her pointer and middle finger, flick his or her lighter and inhale to ignite their “precious” cigarette. Like all cigarettes, Camel sells a product that comes with a simple step-by-step process that becomes habitual with regular consumption. Easy to find and easy to use, the No.9 couldn’t score higher in this category.

The No.9 specifically targets those they are selling to, young women. With its correlation to Chanel and the marking of a pink camel on the cigarette , no girlie girl can resist such a tame looking delicacy. Because of this, No.9’s do extremely well in sales. Camel designs their product to appeal to the "chic" girl who would desire a pink cigarette. She is willing to spend whatever on her cigarette because she loves how cute and feminine they are. They make her feel less “yucky” when smoking. These are all things Camel takes into consideration when designing their product in order to reach maximum productivity. 

The packaging and cigarette of No.9's scream female! The resemblance to high end Chanel designs gives the idea that so too are the No.9’s. The color pallet is feminine, modern, and youthful to further appeal to the young generation. The cigarette is slender, almost resembling a woman’s figure. Camel keeps it simple and colors the cigarette a pure white with a simple pink stamp of their iconic mascot. This simplicity gives the product that “cool” factor. In plain terms, if Barbie smoked a cigarette, she would choose No.9’s.

Let’s face it, Camel has a highly attentive marketing team that is superb at appealing to their audience. Even with their product having the potential to kill, they still are able to make every young female want to try one, or at least keep a pack in her purse. If you can fool so many into that, there is no denying your design’s success. There is nothing left to say but, hats off to you Camel, for tricking the girls of our future into lung cancer!

Cred: 

http://kasandra-bracken.blogspot.com/2008/08/drug-potion-no-9.html

Footnotes:

1. http://www.professorshouse.com/family/health/cigarette-facts.aspx

2. http://www.professorshouse.com/family/health/cigarette-facts.aspx

3. http://health.learninginfo.org/cigarette_smoking_facts.htm

4. http://health.learninginfo.org/cigarette_smoking_facts.htm

5. http://www.rateitall.com/i-962458-camel-no-9.aspx

CHECK IT OUT

      After seeing Minaj's video for "Check it Out" and discussing it in class I came to the conclusion that her video is designed in homage to K pop videos and music. It is undeniable that Minaj was inspired by the K pop genre when making her video. What makes this most clear is the use of the japanese text in the background. Even if one was not familiar with the K pop genre, the Japanese words make the video seem, at the very least, Asian inspired. As an homage, Minaj exaggerated things common to K pop videos like video style, clothing, dance moves, etc. In the video, Minaj and her back-up dancers wear bright colors and futuristic costumes. Their clothing is not something someone would wear on an average day but more closely related to the costumes from the Disney Channel Original movie "Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zenon:_Girl_of_the_21st_Century_(film) ). This clothing resembles almost all the ensembles from any Japanese K pop video. Also, Minaj's song is catchy, repetitive and the words don't have much significant meaning. This is nearly the definition for all K pop music. Both Minaj's and K pop artists' 2NE1 videos mimic their music and are repetitive and lack a significant story line or meaning. Take a look at 2NE1's video and it will be hard to deny the two videos' similarities. 


Cred:
1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqky5B179nM
2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISEoXdHb4W4 

When Words and Images Get Clever

     In response to my google search for clever advertisements I found this one for weight watchers. Unlike the Advil bottle from my last post, that used simple language and words repeatedly to get their message across, here they keep it very simple and almost abstract to symbolically show the effects of the Weight Watcher program. While the message is abstract and not so neatly laid out for you, an adult can easily decipher what is being said. It does not matter that a child may not understand because they are not the target audience of the project. No child is interested in or needs to be on the Weight Watcher program. To the adult it is clear that when you start the program you enter through the "big" door as a fat, unhealthy person. Then as your eye moves from left to right you notice the Weight Watcher's logo between the entrance and the exit. This implies the use of the product. As our view meets the end of the photo on the right, you see a skinny door that says "exit". Through the use of one simple word on top of the image of a narrow door one can deduce that the program will leave you skinny and lean enough to have the ability to use the small door. The use of simple language combined with simple images and things we find in everyday living makes this a highly effective advertisement that cleverly conveys the desired intent of the product, Weight Watchers! 


Cred:
http://www.diamondvues.com/WW-Doors.preview.jpg

Spelling it out for you,,, Word Meets Image

     I came across this Advil bottle design while stalking other blogs. It screamed out to me how advertisers rely on the use of image and word to easily convey their message. On the two pictured sides alone the box states that there is an easy open arthritis cap. The writing is also always located right on or near a picture of the "easy" cap. Advil wants to make sure their consumer knows just how easy this new bottle is to use. They marry both word and image to make it undeniably clear what they are selling. They then use this method so repetitively that the consumer cannot even glance at the product without its intent being known. This is a highly successful method of getting one's product out there, simply by inundating the buyer with easy to understand words and images. The two work hand in hand so that all types of learners can understand. If one does not understand why the cap is so oddly shaped, they can read to realize it is specially designed for people with arthritis. On the other hand if someone with arthritis is drawn to the product because the box claims to be beneficial to someone with the disorder, the consumer can get a visual image of how the design caters to him or her. Word and image work off one another. Thus, neither can stand alone and be nearly as successful. 

Cred:

http://www.whokilledbambi.co.uk/2010/11/sara-cwynar/#more-5353

Oh Juergen, How I adore Thee

     The photography of Juergen Teller has swept the modern advertising world by storm. His work can be seen in the ad's for Marc Jacobs, YSL and Vivienne Westwood. Off of my previous post "discussing outtakes", Teller's work is commonly designed in the manner to appear "undesigned" as seen in the photograph above. It looks like a moment frozen in time, as if the photographer was just bombarded by a beautiful heel clad woman juxtaposed on a rugged skateboard. Whenever I look at this image I wonder just how many outtakes exist and how long it took Teller to capture this perfect moment.
     I love the contrast of elements in this photo. The contrast of a creamy, smooth and white leg to harsh and black, makes the statement that these two things do not match. The ornate, vintage gold background further contrasts with the subject in the foreground, making the viewer yearn for greater context. The model and her belongings are very modern whereas the background looks as if it is from the time of Marie Antoinette. She seems very out of place and gives the impression that she is doing something she shouldn't, as if she is partaking in mischief. The swirling lines of the background curve in a way that corresponds to the model's legs. Thus, the background moves the model along through the picture, further implying her motion.I think the elements of design are successfully used in this image to portray the act of motion. 


Cred:
http://lifeinlomo.blogspot.com/2008/11/juergen-teller.html

Discussing Outtakes

     This poster hangs in my dorm room next to my desk and I find my eye uncontrollably wandering to it when I should be studying. The photograph, like many we find in the fashion magazines of today, gives the impression that it is an outtake, a snapshot, a photograph unplanned. This begs the question of whether or not this advertisement is "designed". 

     In my opinion, a photograph of this nature is in fact designed. While the movements of the models don't hold any specificity, their outfits, the room, and the use of film as opposed to digital, were very much designed. Someone had an idea in their mind of what mood they wanted the ad to evoke. The unposed position of the models in fact heightens the mood of a grungy motel room. The mess of the clothing, bedding, AND model's juxtaposition creates an unyielding sense of chaos. 

     While this photograph is messily constructed, many principles and elements of design are used in tandem to create an effective advertisement. One's eye is immediately drawn to the white tone of the right model's shirt. Once the eye is caught, it moves down the line of the leg and towards the other model. Her long blonde (almost white) hair draws the eye down her form. Once down her arm, one's eye gets lost in a flurry of flash and mis-focus across the bed, leading the eye right back to our original model. This construction creates a simple triangle with which the eye can consistently move. One's eye is in constant motion and thus constant analysis of this portrait. Each cycle can lead the eye to notice new things, like the phone in the blonde models hand or the bullets slung across the headboard. Thus, more of the content of the photograph is unveiled and leaves the viewer wondering just what is happening in this "random" moment. The element of line is successfully used in this designed photograph to catch its viewers eye and lure them to a point of closer analysis and hopefully, a closer look at the product for which it is advertising. 

Cred:

Ich, mich, mir... ME, from da iPhone

Analyze a Single Object

             The Lego, produced in millions, a childhood toy that is so simple but can consume the young minds of builders all over the nation. At first glance we notice that this toy is made out of plastic. Its shiny, smooth surface feels soft to the touch. The sharp, cold, geometric shape contrasts with the soft feel of the block. While the surface is smooth, the form is rough and structured. The top of the brick gives way to a repetitive row of circles, subtly labeled with the logo "lego". These circular forms then correspond to the indentations along the bottom side of the lego. The circles can then lock into place when stacked upon one another. There is an emphasis on these circles for many reasons. One, they protrude further than the rest of the form, creating uneven negative space around the object. Also, their logo label on each circle creates an embossed texture than is unlike the smooth surface of the block. Finally, there is an emphasis on them due to their necessity related to function. Without these lifted circles, the lego blocks would have nothing to attach onto and thus your lego would serve no building function. 
     Provided with a variety of brick sizes, and colors, the creator has endless possibilities for creation with his or her lego's. One could stack the lego's in alternating order of color to create a harsh contrast from line to line of lego brick. This also gives way for opportunity to design structure's full of repetition, giving way to rhythm of pattern or form. The individual blocks act as pieces of what the mind uses to create a unified whole, a Gestalt of lego creation. The lego brick can be thoughtfully combined to give the illusion of being one object. 


Cred:
1. http://idletigers.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/lego-bricks-high-resolution.jpg
2. http://htmlgiant.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/57184557_b7cd583754.jpg

Interaction of Content and Form in Objectified

      In the documentary "Objectified", the film forces its viewer to take a closer look at the forms of everyday objects and reconsider why they are formed that way. The film immediately does this by posing these questions while cycling through a series of tightly cropped frames. In doing so, one looks at the object close up, both physically and in their mind, and thus sees it in a new light. I consider this as a highly effective method of combining the form of the objects with the content in which the film is addressing.   The marriage between content and form becomes increasingly more evident as the film progresses. To further the initial questions the film asks, they then show objects being made. For example, they look at the formation of an Apple desktop computer. The viewer is shown a piece of metal next to the basic frame shape of the computer. It is then explained how the piece of metal is transformed into the skeleton of the machine. This only sparks the mind further by inspiring thoughts of the process from basic material to amazing technology. The film provides such examples to keep their viewer's mind moving around the film's basic content of looking closer at objects.   Diving deeper towards unearthing the process of creating, the film also introduces an array of esteemed designers. This provides the viewer with a face with which to connect the design of a specific object to. One does not look at a lamp and wonder who designed it, but rather, with the intent to have it provide light. The film helps it's viewers look past what the naked eye assumes by giving them visual proof that REAL PEOPLE spend a lot of time creating things we take for granted.     

  "Objectified", by taking a closer look at objects, both in the literal sense, and by looking at the background information, successfully uses form to better convey the film's content. The tight crops off the objects and the description and insight into the creator's and how their things are created, lend way to a new mindset on objects that could leave the mind ruminating for days.

Cred:

www.objectifiedfilm.com

"Relief from high heel disco misery" and further discussion on the designer's quest to sell comfort

     Early this morning I stumbled upon a news clip that sparked my interest. Isabella Fendt, a resident of Germany, has recently invented the ballet flat vending machine. This machine, as explained in the video, supplies woman with a cheap ($12) alternative to going bare foot at a night club when her heels hurt to much. This design may come off as a bit ridiculous, but Miss Fendt is on to something. By placing her machine in places where her target audience will most likely be intoxicated, and thus have low inhibition, woman are likely to shell out their money in exchange for quick, accessible comfort.  
     As the news anchor begs in the clip, "why even wear heels?". The answer is simple, they make a woman feel good. What blows my mind is that women are willing to go to great lengths to keep themselves high-standing. Their heels alone might cost them a pretty penny, but now woman are spending even more on costly add-on's to maximize heel comfort. 
     Both Isabella Fendt and companies like Dr.Scholl's are true masterminds. They have taken the truth that woman have and always will wear heel's, regardless of pain, and in response have designed things to supposedly combat this "problem". Their plan is foolproof, women will buy these things. They see an advertisement for "no more heel pain" and they jump on any or all opportunities to decrease the torture they put their feet through. 
     Where Fendt's design trumps Dr.Scholl's and similar companies products, is in the vending machine's accessibility. Now a woman does not even have to plan ahead to prevent her heel pain, she simply has the luxury of buying "cheap" shoes to replace her uncomfortable one's when her feet have met their breaking point. Women will spend their money on comfort, as long as they can look fabulous in the process! 


Cred:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/living/2010/10/17/disco.shoes.machine.cnn
http://www.sololisa.com/2009/03/how-to-make-high-heels-comfortable.html

Comparing and Contrasting

     Ah, the infamous Harry Potter. Debuting in my life during my elementary school years and culminating towards the end of my high school career, Harry Potter and the release of J.K. Rowling's books, grew up and transformed along with me. The first "Sorcerer's Stone" compared to the last "Deathly Hallows", looks unequivocally outdated and almost juvenile. The design of the first cover blatantly matches the times. Released in 1998, the original Harry is depicted very whimsically, complete with unrealistic human features, and an expression comparable to a Nickelodeon cartoon. The use of warm, rich tones, along with their juxtaposition creates a mood based around the idea of "fun fantasy". This in turn introduces Harry as a bright character with "cool" wizard powers. The cover is appealing to a younger audience. I would surmise the artist's intent was just that; by hooking young children, the series would have the ability to age with its readers. 
     As the books were released many things stayed consistent with their cover design. The same typeface was used for every novel. This resulted in viewers relating said font to the books. The lighting bolt P, used to start off "Potter" is automatically related to the book by people who have even the slightest idea of who Potter is. The artwork also remained very much the same, using the same drawing style, color pallet and having the artwork bleed from the front and back cover to the jacket flaps inside the book.      
     While the artwork is consistent in some ways, I noticed an evolution in the artwork. As Harry grows in the novels, so too does Harry's appearance. Also, the mood of the cover design moves from happy to the other side of the spectrum, dark and mysterious. While "Sorcerer's Stone" is very young, colorful and busy, "Deathly Hallows"depicts an adult Harry, with intense features and one central image of the novel's star. In comparing all seven of the works in a sequence, one can see the artwork's mood becoming more dark and simplified. The design becomes more centered on Harry and less centered on objects, people, and places the books are dealing with. When we come to the last novel all we see is Harry's adult figure. He has grown up before our eyes and has become our central focus as the series comes to an end. Where in the beginning we questioned the fate of fluffy, the three headed dog, or Harry's ability to fly on his broom, by "Hallows" we are focused simply on the fate of Harry alone. 
   In my opinion, I feel the artist's choice to keep aspects of her cover design consistent while allowing her art to transform and grow along side Harry, was a perfect way to execute her job. She managed to create icons to associate the books to, through use of typeface, while also depicting a symbolic message of who the book's focus is on by simplifying the content with each book release. I love to see how this simple idea of wizardly fantasy transformed itself into an epic thriller that now pollutes our big screens every couple years. 


Cred:
1.http://iwritealot.com/2010/04/07/j-k-rowling-harry-potter-and-the-sorcerer’s-stone/
2. http://backseatcuddler.com/2009/01/21/harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-starts-shooting/

Design as a Conversation

     

     The Design of an advertisement is meant to be eye-catching or relatable, in order to get the attention of its viewer. In particular, companies' and foundations' advertising against drugs, alcohol and unsafe sex seem to have perfected the use of an ad to shock their viewer and cause them to ask questions, seek answers and debate what they have just experienced.Or, they wish to depict something relatable so one will reflect on their own life, resulting in analysis of the presented information. In essence, they use their ads to spark controversial conversation. 

     In an ad done by the French Council on AIDS Awareness, a woman is portrayed with a massive spider between her legs, that is supposedly performing oral sex on her. The image is shocking and makes one feel the need to cross his or her legs in order to protect themselves from such pain. This imagined pain is thus equated to the feeling of an STD. So now they've got you thinking, "Man, I sure as hell don't want an STD if I am going to be in pain down there" and look you've now started a conversation. Regardless of if you have another to verbally converse the topic with or you are alone rummaging through thoughts in your mind, this striking design has caused you to think longer on their topic than just the brief moment you eyed their billboard on the freeway. Design is used as a catalyst to get people to notice issues that can easily be overlooked if not directly engaged.

     Another way advertisers in this particular field get us talking is through the use of commercials that depict "real life". For example, The "Above The Influence" campaign airs a commercial showing "real footage" of a high-school party where a drunk female is drawn on because she is incapacitated. 

With their target audience being the teenage, high-school set, viewers of that group can imagine a time where they experienced a similar event. This recall alone will spark conversation. A group of highschoolers will undoubtably start ranting over the time they saw so and so passed out and "disgusting" with marks all over their face and how "embarrassing that was". The advertiser designed his or her commercial to do just this. This simple conversation, sparked by fifteen second clip, has got teenagers all over the country talking about these instances. Thus, whether they know it or not, they are becoming more aware, and thus more informed with the consequences of drinking to much alcohol.

     Simple design tricks of creating shock, or appealing to what we humans experience daily, is an advertisers main method of starting a conversation, in essence a domino effect. Through this, minds are sparked, conversation abounds and people become more informed on the controversy.

Cred:

http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=1066069
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l5JHDupR24&playnext=1&list=PL24F9BA8F11DEB35D&index=11

Creativity from Without

Georgia O'keefe's work is based on the environment around her. She uses these things to portray her vision of them in a style distinctly her own that so many strive to mimic today. 

     

     Georgia O'keefe, considered one of the great female painters of her age (early 1900's) was an artist inspired by the world around her. In particular, she studied flowers and in her later years, New Mexico. Although O'keefe's subjects were true things found on Earth, she drew inspiration from them in order to create paintings in a category entirely of their own. Using vibrant colors, O'keefe heightens the natural ones found in nature to create intense emotions in the viewer. Intense blues evoke feelings of sadness, while bright reds and vivid pinks remind me of obnoxious, abounding love. The hues alone create a distinct and intense mood. Also, by painting her subjects at a tight crop, the viewer is forced to ruminate on what he or she is looking at. A close analysis of the picture could land the viewer with a varied amount of ideas of the subject. She takes a simple form of a flower and simply by painting it from a macro standpoint, an entirely new image takes shape. O'keefe takes that standard flower form and conveys it to a point of abstraction. Many compare her paintings to the genital regions of the female but she rejects the similarity. In my opinion, it is hard to deny their likeness. 

    As O'keefe reached her golden years and moved to New Mexico, her art moved and transformed along with her. A strong sense of New Mexican culture, landscape and color became the focus of her work. O'keefe compiled what she experienced in her new environment and placed them all in an almost surreal composition. For example, in her painting "Ram's Head White Hollyhock and Little Hills" a massive ram skull floats above a billowing cloud filled sky. And of course, a hollyhock flower (reminiscent of her early floral work) is juxtaposed aside the skull giving the painting its asymmetrical design. 

Cred:

http://www.tfaoi.com/aa/5aa/5aa324.htm 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:O%27Keeffe_Georgia_Ram%27s_Head.jpg

(I did not know this specific assignment was assigned for the due date of 10/12/10, and instead wrote a stone soup post with two "free" posts for the week, I made this assignment up for an opportunity for credit) 

The Box Car

The Nissan Cube, The Honda Element, The Scion xB, The Kia SOL...

     I find it depressing that there are four cars on the market that resemble the shape of my favorite breakfast appliance, the toaster. It all started with the release of the Honda Element in December 2002. When this vehicle was first released I was a mere 4th grader. Being young, my eyes were drawn to this alien car. I asked myself and my parents why anyone would want to drive a car designed to resemble a box? To me, it seemed like a step backwards in the world of design. Is a box aerodynamic? Does it provide greater safety when in a car accident? Is it fuel efficient? While its design does have a five star crash rating, the cube design only grants its drivers 20 miles to the gallon. So not only will you be driving an UGLY car, but you'll also be spending high amounts of cash on gasoline. 
     Just when I thought the element was enough, Scion came onto the scene in 2004 with something even more hideous, the xB. Now Scion really took the term "box car" to heart and trumped Honda by making their version even more geometric with near 90 degree angular design. What really set me off about the release of this car was that I was seeing them EVERYWHERE! Why were people spending money on these cars? What was the appeal? 
     One day during my junior year of highschool I was lucky enough to discover that my friend in fact owned an xB. I was delighted to have my first experience inside the mysterious "toaster". What I found shocked me, the car was entirely crafted out of cheap plastic. The dashboard size overruled the amount of space allotted for driver and passenger. The glove box could hold a single pair of gloves. The backseat had little to no leg room and the overall vibe made me feel like I was in an extremely small car. It was magic! How could they have possibly designed a car that appears so spacious on the outside yet make one feel so confined once inside? Once again I was at a loss, confused by the mysterious box car trend. 
     While Scion went super boxy, Nissan got a bit "artsy" when releasing their Cube in America in 2008. Complete with shag carpet on the dash, asymmetrical rear window, oval shaped drive and passenger windows, 20 color option led lights sporadically placed around the cabin, and random hooks to hook your do-dads to, the Cube plays on the idea of "cool". Now what do I mean by cool? I mean hip, modern, fashionable, young, flashy. This car is obviously designed with youth in mind or even the young at heart. The younger set aren't going to care that in 2010 nearly 46,000 Cubes were recalled, they are going to eat up that fact that their car comes complete with a "trippy light show" at their feet. The Element and Sol are just box cars, the Cube is a piece of art (regardless of how ugly I think it is). 
     There is no denying that these cars all have been created with a strong statement on design. Taking a simple shape and converting it to the design of our most common form of transportation in the United States. I may think it's ugly but I guess there are millions who think otherwise, because the number of box car's is increasing. The demand is obviously enough to continue to produce these vehicles and even create new models entirely. Will every company come to have their own version of this toaster car? 


P.S. everyone should make it a goal to ride in a box car at least once in their life, it's an experience ;)


Cred:
1. http://www.autocarparts.com/c_Honda_Element/
2. http://www.autoincar.com/tag/nissan-cube/

In Regard to White Walls

     So I got this thought... Why are the walls of our galleries and art museums always white? Why is white the go to color of walls?
     My first idea on this, white looks CLEAN, it looks FRESH and it looks SIMPLE. With white walls one's art will POP. The viewer's mind will not be distracted. Also, a colored wall could drastically change the emotion and feel of the room. If the walls were all a gray-blue, people could subconsciously become somber and "blue". Colored walls could also not match the art work and thus detract from the over all design of the space.  
     But why not black walls? The choice against colored walls makes sense to me, but the question over black plagues my mind a bit more. My initial response and what I would guess most people's to be, is that black makes a room feel small. But why is that a problem? Diane Arbus's photographs are all tiny. When I saw them at the Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco past May I was shocked at their size. Although their small size forced me to really get close to her work and examine it with a keen eye, it didn't awe me. To me, that's the type of artwork I would put on a black wall with white frames. Not only would the contrast of black wall to white frame make the work stand out but it would give the illusion of larger artwork. 
     I know, I know, I offer an extremely biased idea on the size of art. In my designer eye, I would exhibit almost all colored photography like Jeff Wall, HUGE and lit up. I can't help but be drawn to his artwork from halfway across SF Moma when it is just screaming in full vibrant force, "come look at me". And putting that stuff against a black wall would make it BIGGER and BADDER (in the sense of the contrast of bold color to dark black walls). 
     I guess what I am getting at is, I want to see a gallery break this norm set by the design world to have stark white walls. I want to be shocked, I want someone to be DIFFERENT and place me in a solid black gallery. I'd love to see people's responses. There would be the ones like me, all hyped up on something so strange and then there would be the conventionalists who would just hate it because "this is not how you design a gallery". And of course, there would be the sea of opinions in between. I'm itching to hear these opinions, ideas and reactions. Someone please design a black gallery or tell me if I am naive and it has been done. In fact, I'm sure it has and I am going to start searching for one now!  


Cred:
http://www.kulay-diwa.com/home 

Stone Soup

       Today I partook in the activity of STONE SOUP. My group wandered out side to a grassy corner and laid down a variety of supplies we had brought from home. Some people brought true-blue art materials while others had scavenged for recycled materials. We were asked to do a quick brainstorm of ideas on what to build and when it came time for sharing I was surprised to find that everyone had the same basic idea; to use the box as a base to build and create something out of. What about this object so obviously compelled us? Was it the fact that it was bigger than all other materials? Or was it its cube-like form? This got me thinking if another group of entirely different people would also come up with this idea of using the box as a starting point. Is the eye drawn to the idea of starting a design with a base? For me, it was exactly that. 

       While others suggested creating concrete objects like a flower covered box or a car, my initial idea was just to randomly decorate the box in a haphazard way, incorporating all the different mediums into one lump of design. What I quickly learned was that the minds of my group held a firm majority in creating a concrete object, in this case a car turned party bus. I loved to see how each mind created a unique piece of the bus all in their own opinion and image. My vision of how the windows should have been executed was far from how they ended up being designed. I was pleasantly awed by how my group-mate used our materials to create windows. They did so in a way that I feel far trumped my idea. This project really proved the beauty of pooling ideas and the success that accompanies group think. 

Cred:

photos taken on my personal iPhone

Form v. Function_ in regard to some magnificent shoes and clothing

     I recently stumbled upon the intriguing shoe designs of Kobi Levi. In particular, his pair of “rocking chair” shoes, caught my interest in two ways. While the cleverness of creating a shoe to resemble that of a rocking chair presented itself as something entirely new and innovative I quickly said to myself, “HOW THE HECK WOULD I WALK IN THOSE?”. Now, with closer examination I have deduced it simply will not work. But then why would someone create such a shoe if it cannot be walked in? This sparked the question in my mind of form vs. function especially in regard to not only woman’s shoes, but also female clothing in general.

     Ladies, how often do you buy a shirt that just doesn’t hide your bra in any way, let alone cover your skin to keep you warm, just because it is so DANG cute? I’ll admit I do this way to often. The look of the article of clothing, majority of the time, trumps a desired function. Yet another example I can think of is my purchase of a pair of van sneakers in a size to small. I could not wait to order these shoes in a size that fit and have now worn them so much my toes have poked holes through the front. Was I considering the function and need to protect my cold toes and keep them dry on a rainy day? NO! The look of the shoe, the design, captivated me. It won me over, like it so often does, and convinced me that I needed them on my feet regardless of what discomfort they might attack me with. Conscious of my appearance, I am controlled by design’s grip. Form prevails while my body suffers from the lack of function in my apparel.

Cred...For the rocking chair shoe design and more of Kobe Levi's work click here:

http://kobilevidesign.blogspot.com/ 

Judging a Book By Its Cover

     When discussing the importance of beginnings in class, particularly in regard to film, this got me thinking of other beginnings and how they have impacted me. The first thing that popped into my head was my shallow habit of judging a book by its cover.

From a young age I’ve been told that familiar line, “don’t judge a book by its cover” and soon discovered not only its literal meaning but also its broader life lesson. While I did take the moral message to heart, the later I did not. Having been an avid reader since kindergarten, I have always possessed a piece of literature. As I became old enough to make my own decisions of what to read I found myself perusing Barnes and Nobel's teen book section for the books with the most appealing cover art. An odd ball of criteria began to amass in my selection of a “good book”. Unfortunately this shallow way of picking out a good read still controls me to this day.

     First and most importantly, the book must have a hard cover. Something durable that I know will stand strong on my bookshelf. The book must also use an intriguing type face that is unique to that work alone. The art must not be cheesy, i.e. like a romance novel. I want to be able to use this book as yet another art piece to decorate my room with. The books I choose to display on my shelf are my opinion of “pretty” and “cool” and are no different than the posters I choose to display on my walls.

     Now, looking at this as a bystander, I would call myself a shallow, uneducated connoisseur of literature. Ironically enough, my superficial method has proved highly successful. There is not one book on my shelf that I have failed to finish or labeled as a “bad read”.

Thus, in my opinion the importance of an eye-catching cover, the BEGINNING of a book, is absolutely essential! Without the intricate design and attention to detail, a novel can be easily overlooked on a shelf. For example, I recently purchased this magnificent pink edition of Lewis Carol’s Alice in Wonderland. Although I have read the book in the past, this edition’s hard cover, eye-catching color, gold trimmed pages and attached ribbon book mark, convinced me to purchase it. In comparison to the beige edition’s cover (on right), how could one not purchase the pink edition? Both contain the same work but the time spent designing the pink edition makes it that more alluring…

cred:

1. http://thehappiestmedium.com/wordpress/wp-ontent/uploads/2010/01/48579814.JPG

2. http://www.alice-in-wonderland-book.com/history.htm

and So it Began... a first notice of design

The magicube...a unique cube covered in six outside graphics and two larger internal ones. Initially discovered as a young child in my old Victorian home, my magicube was decorated with paintings of the past. Reminiscent of the works of Michelangelo, the cube was adorned with chubby cherubs, picking the liar, while hovering over minstrels. Equipped with the mind of a five year old, I saw the art covering my intricate, every folding cube, as extremely detailed and complex. Little did I know, the art casing my knick-knack was from a time far back in history, centuries before I would even begin living.

Created out of eight smaller cubes, my little hands became consumed with the perpetual refolding and flip-flopping of the cube. With each fold a new portrait would amass. I remember becoming so intrigued with all the possibilities of pictorial combination. I would spend lengths of time refolding the small cube, analyzing each combination of images until I discerned by favorite. Although my favorite stayed the same, the cube’s circular folding design convinced my hands and mind to continue “play”.

The crisp edges and smooth sides would glide across my fingers while the blocks would make the distinct “click-clack” as I folded the pieces against one another. The sound reminded of another child-hood toy of mine, the notorious shaking, clapping hands. As time went on the thin pieces of paper creating the creases and joints between the blocks wore and eventually tore, leaving my magicube less fascinating and lacking its original enjoyment.

I do not know where my cube disappeared to, most likely thrown out in the trash due to destruction. Rarely do I see things similar to it in stores but when I do I am unequivocally drawn to the tiny creations. I pick them up and begin that ever-redundant folding process, examining all the images and choosing my favorite. This toy has been designed to mindlessly intrigue its viewer. Because of its early impact on my mind, I will forever search for and enjoy said objects!


Cred: www.chicaandjo.com/2008/05/08/magic-folding-wooden-photo-cubes/