Week 07 - 2D

Class Format

Todays class followed the same quantitative rating system from last week.

Group Exercise

PRACTICAL – Design Communication

1. DESIGN a logo mockup on a DL for the student exhibition.
2. Make a list of 2 key concepts you are trying to communicate.
   - The sense of an energetic creative process.
   - Colour sympathetic to the region.
3. Make a list of 2 key feelings your trying to communicate.
   - Excitement.
   - Curiosity.
4. REFINE your logo to communicate these 4 things.
   -
5. Prepare to present your communication skills to the class.
6. Upload all this content to your blog.

This is the draft I came up with in class. Moving the design forward would include the dates, opening times and additional logos across the bottom. I would also consider capturing some some actual light writing for the logo and tagline, 'Bright - New Work'.

GROUP EXERCISE – Concept Investigation

Using a scale of 1 – 10, each group assigns a quantitative rating for all the designs, based on the three criteria below;

1. Clear rendition of 2 key concepts.
   - Katelyn 7, Queenie 5, Andre 4, Jacob , Myself 7.
2. Clear rendition of 2 key feelings.
   - Katelyn 6, Queenie 6, Andre 4, Jacob , Myself 7.
3. Immediate visual appeal.
   - Katelyn 6, Queenie 6, Andre 5, Jacob , Myself 8.

Research

Video

This is the second animated render out of blender. I use the video output as scratch versions to see how the general flow is working. The video here was exported with Blogger in mind and so has been shrunk to 320x240, leaving it a 1.5MB mov. I then tweaked the html to enlarge it 560x460 to fit my layout, which didn't help but you get the idea. Blender is a vector environment, so the export size and resolution is dependant on requirement. It is 6 seconds or 142 frames long and took about twenty seconds to render, obviously higher size and resolution equals longer render times. I'm still not completely happy with the lighting and the rotation will get a couple of variants. To prepare the animation for web deployment I will remove the background and export the individual frames as PNG, import to Photoshop as layers, create frames from layers (animation window), edit a little and export as animated GIF from the save for web and devices dialogue.

Images

One last picture and then I'll change topic. Just wanted to share my workspace layout for animation in Blender (click to enlarge). This is of course the twin screen set up.

Reflection

We are certainly getting toward the pointy end of the course as the pressure is building. I enjoyed the pressurised set up of todays class in that we had a short amount of time to develop and present a concept for the exhibition invite. I imagine that this type of approach to a project is common in real world scenarios, I need this designed and I need it yesterday!

Week 06 - 3D

Class Format

The class format here was turned upside down in that the Practical (individual) was followed by the Exercise (group). The purpose of this is to show that the design process works in both ways simultaneously. The blind rating system featured this week based on the visceral responses of our peers to predetermined criteria was a surprise.

 

Group Exercise

Practical - Design Perspectives

Based on your favourite 3D design, draft and label 2 variations in your blog

• Design 01: Design in a style that appeals to a community sports group
• Design 02: Design in a style that appeals to a fashion label
• Draft in your blog with hand drawings and notes
• Give each work a NAME and DESCRIPTION (max 50 words)

So this was a twenty minute exercise and I think it is fairly obvious what is going on visually here. The sports version is simple and brightly coloured emphasising the number (it also has a racing stripe). The fashion one is elaborate with a splash of colour, hair and feathers. My first design I give the name 'Racing 01' and the second 'The Peacock' (image source may be found here).
The purpose of this practical was to take a current design that we have been working on and think about it from a different perspective. By doing this the design is forced forward through other design alternatives. In effect kick starting the creative process. This is followed by a similar rating system as given in the group exercise for 2D. I was not fond of this process as while I am sure it may occur in some form in the real world, I am also sure that it does not occur devoid of any actual critical discourse. Given the time restraint this worked as a kind of origination pressure test as well as the purpose outlined above.

 

Exercise - Changing Perspectives

Using a scale of 1 – 10, each group assigns a quantitative rating for all the designs, based on the criteria below;

1. Accuracy in addressing the brief.
   - Cherill 9, Queenie ?, June ?, Katelyn ?, Andre ?.
2. Immediate visual appeal.
   - Cherill 7, Queenie ?, June ?, Katelyn ?, Andre ?.
3. Cross generational appeal.
   - Cherill 7, Queenie ?, June ?, Katelyn ?, Andre ?.
4. Artistic depth.
   - Cherill 8, Queenie ?, June ?, Katelyn ?, Andre ?.

With limited time we were instructed to complete this task in our own time. The process employed here was to apply quantitative results to subjective criteria. As per the task requirement - I give myself a 6 for item 4.

 

Research

Video

Insert video and comment

Images

Below are images of Cherill and I working on the pattern for the bicycle helmet cover.

 

Reflection

While I was not a big fan of the blind rating system, I will be looking at (and possibly collating) the results. The inversion of the class format was a clever way to show the movement of influence as occurring in both directions and I am sure this will be elaborated on later.

Week 06 - 2D

Class Format

The class today operated in reverse to the previous weeks. The Practical (individual) was followed by the Exercise (group) and I'm guessing that this was to demonstrate that the design process operates in multiple directions at once. Featured this week was a rating system of our peers which I will comment more on in reflection.

 

Group Exercise

Design Perspectives

Draft 2 logo designs for your own design business.

• Design 01: Design in a style that appeals to a design Industry client.
• Design 02: Design in a style that appeals to a non-profit arts organisation.
• Draft in your blog with hand drawings and notes.
• Then draft your 2 designs in Illustrator or Photoshop if you have time.
• Incorporate the TAGLINE into both designs.

Design 01 is for my design company. The tagline for this company could possibly be 'Design from YOUR Perspective'. Design 02 could have a tag line like 'Colour in YOUR Community' (see design below). I am not sure that tag lines are my strong suit.

The design company logo after a bit of action in Illustrator. It still needs reworking with gradients and highlights, but you get the general idea. I am also going to look at working from scratch with the 3D rendering tools in Illustrator as well as Blender where I can do some animation.

To the left I have worked with the 3D tools in Illustrator, changing the angle slightly and employing the font 'Roadgeek Series C'. Below is the first render out of Blender, where the lighting needs some tweaking. The advantage of Blender is that the logo is now a 3D object that can be rendered with perspective and animated. It is possible to create perspectival images in Illustrator, it just complicated things when combining the meshes for multiple objects as was required here.
This was by far the best option for what I want to achieve. Further work will include changing the lighting, giving the the material a bluish brushed metal quality and of course animating it to slowly rotate.

 

Changing Perspectives

Using a scale of 1 – 10, each group assigns a quantitative rating for all the designs, based on the criteria below;

1. Accuracy in addressing the brief.
   - Cherill 8, Queenie 4, June 9, Katelyn 6, Andre 5.
2. Immediate visual appeal.
   - Cherill 7, Queenie 5, June 9, Katelyn 6, Andre 6.
3. Cross generational appeal.
   - Cherill 6, Queenie 6, June 8, Katelyn 5, Andre 6.
4. Suitability for print.
   - Cherill 8, Queenie 5, June 8, Katelyn 6, Andre 5.
5. Suitability for web.
   - Cherill 8, Queenie 6, June 9, Katelyn 6, Andre 6.
6. Monochromatic suitability.
   - Cherill 6, Queenie 5, June 8, Katelyn 6, Andre 6.
7. Simplicity.
   - Cherill 7, Queenie 7, June 8, Katelyn 5, Andre 5.

 

Research

Video

I found this tutorial particularly useful with my recent return to Blender. Cgboorman has an excellent collection on Youtube and I shall be collecting all of his videos. The main thing I gained from this video was learning how to relocate an origin point.

 

Images

Some sample images from the Blender website gallery, which can be found here.

 

Reflection

While I am sure versions of the numeric rating system featured this week do happen in real world situations, I was not convinced of its value in the context of todays class. I can see it being of use where a group of designers are working on the one concept as a democratic way of finding a focus (which in fact is an element of the IDEO strategy). I also believe it would also be more effective in combination with a more thorough group critique, although the time constraints of our time together may have been a factor here. It was an interesting approach.
There have been a few version releases of Blender since I last used it with any depth, which was version 2.4 on a Powerbook with an older single button Apple mouse. Currently I am running 2.6 on an iMac with a full keyboard and 3 button Logitech mouse, which is important for a couple of reasons. The experience of using Blender almost solely with a trackpad and limited keyboard is for the most part frustrating. The program has a heavy bias toward keyboard shortcuts and a 3 button mouse is an essential navigation tool. My point in mentioning this is that it is one thing to have the right software, but it needs to be backed up with the right hardware. It was also surprising how much the program had evolved in 0.2 versions, so the more you use it the more familiar it will stay.

Week 05 - 3D

Class Format

Todays class was about defining assumptions in order to inform the design process. A group exercise and discussion was followed by a practical based on our own work.

 

Group Exercise

Challenge Assumptions

1. One student presents 3D design concept to the class – 2 mins
2. Open discussion on challenging design concept assumptions – 3 mins 3. Repeat twice
3. All students blog your observations – 10 mins

Myself, Cherill and Queenie presented our recent 3D design concepts. I presented the design concept that I blogged about last week. The primary concern raised about it was in relation to safety and the exposed wiring, with particular regard regard to the moist environment that we all live in most of the time (wet season). Possible solutions presented included insulation and spray on latex compounds. Cherill presented the project her, Katelyn and I have been working in Collaboration being the bicycle helmet cover. We are pretty much all over that and the main issue raised was in relation to cost. The research and break down for that can be found here. Finally was Queenie presenting here design concept from Collaboration for an illustrated children's book. The most interesting point to come out of discusion about her project was to make the book bi-lingual as she is originally from Taiwan.

PRACTICAL – Design challenge / reflect & refine

Choose your most recent 3D design concept from all your current works. In your blog make a list of 2 assumptions about your design. Challenge both of these assumptions (100 words minimum). Suggest 2 refinements to solve these challenges (100 words minimum).

Here I will continue with my design concept for a steampunk monitor hack. I will be drawing my challenges and refinements directly from the group exercise above. My first assumption is that the design is safe - I have been pulling electronics apart for some time now and I know which bits to not touch, besides which the exposed wiring of concern is on the back of the unit. The second assumption is that it will function well as as a monitor extension.
How will the wet season affect the exposed circuitry and wiring. Will exposer to humidity impact the screens performance or be detrimental to the safety of the screen. Will this further complicate the cleaning of the screen.
Considering that the screen is reorientated physically will this complicate configuration. Given the relative age of the screen will it provide an acceptable optical match to the current screen.
In response to the first set of challenges. Further insulation with grommets or spray on latex compounds are the solution to humidity affecting the performance or safety of the screen. In actual use I find cleaning with a low powered vacuum to be an acceptable alternative for cleaning.
For the second set of challenges a good working knowledge of your system preferences will be the solution for the most part. Trial and error found that for some reason rotating the screen 180 degrees as opposed to 270 was easier on system preferences, so test the configuration before you screw it to the desk.

 

Research

Video

Insert video

Images

Andrea Petrachi's work came to me via an RSS feed from Design You Trust. You can probably see that it is his reuse of redundant technology which appeals to me. Also calling himself Himatic, he considers his work as, "...a symbol of our out-of-control desire to buy things" (from the website linked above).

Reflection

Comment

Week 05 - 2D

Class Format

Todays class was about forming and challenging assumptions. This took the form of of a series of group exercises and discussion followed by a practical application of the process covered to our own work. This process was to form a group of assumptions based on a given situation and then systematically challenge each of those assumptions. The aim here is to find alternative and creative ways to solve problems.

 

Group Exercise

Challenge Assumptions - Part 1

10 min QUIZ & open discussion

Q1. Relatives - A doctor in London had a brother in Manchester, who was a lawyer - but the lawyer in Manchester did not have a brother in London who was a doctor. Why? It was his sister.

Q2. Bottled Money - If you put a small coin piece in an empty bottle and replaced the cork, how would you get the coin out of the bottle without taking out the cork or breaking the bottle? Push the cork in.

Q3. The Restaurant Meal - Three women each have two daughters, and they all go into a restaurant for a meal. There are only seven vacant seats in the restaurant, but each has a seat for herself. How do they manage it? It's a grandmother/daughter thing.

Challenge Assumptions - Part 2

MIKE’S AUDITION (see handout)

1. What would be on your list of assumptions - if you were Mike?
   - The drive would take four hours.
   - He needed to sleep 2 hours.
   - It was too late to find an alternate route.
   - Late night traffic would be the same as morning traffic.
   - No sleep would affect his performance.
   - He can't change the time of the audition.
   - No other transport apart from car and bus.
2. Challenge each item in the list and find a solution to Mike’s problem.
   - Drive now and sleep when he gets there.

PRACTICAL – Design challenge / reflect & refine

Choose your most recent 2D design concept from all your current works. In your blog make a list of 2 assumptions about your design. Challenge both of these assumptions (100 words minimum). Suggest 2 refinements to solve these challenges (100 words minimum). Illustrate your thoughts with sketches / diagrams.

Recently I made an invite for my Nephews first birthday. I assumed that my Sister in Law would like my work. I also assumed that printing would not be a problem (with free and easy access to colour printing up to A4 on standard paper stock).

Perhaps Danielle (sister in law) does like what I have done to her only son. There could also be issues with the wording on the invite. Any of the colours I have used could be a problem. In short there could be a problem with the design.

The printing may hit a brick wall in that my printer access could die. The colours may not print correctly. There may be a last minute formatting change (this actually happened) in that my printer could decide that two to a page would be a more economical use of resources than a full page print, however this was not an easy task from where she sat and unintentional cropping occurred.
Solutions to these problems in the first instance include the correct organisation of my resources - properly organised these can be referenced (that's what you told me to write on it) or revisited and edited. Properly organising and grouping layers within the files will also prevent design edits from being an issue. In the second instance have a back up printer is the first solution. With my actually happened problem, I had the relevant file and it was not problem to format it in such a way that it could be easily printed. For the colour issue, output in the relevant colour format (CMYK). To summarise a well organised creative process backed up with some preparation for the unexpected will solve most problems. Here is the final design, which incidentally was created with a combination of Photoshop and Illustrator...

Research

Video

While again not probably technically a video this does tie thematically with this week class. I found this on Giff Constable's site, who from his blurb about himself sounds like the business acumen you need in your corner for a new start up.

 

Images

This bit of fun came to me via Design Taxi. The early advertising artworks of Dr. Suess was originally sourced here and it looks like he was fairly prolific. Like many of us, I grew up with the work of Dr. Suess, so it would be remiss of me not to include him here as one of my influences.

Reflection

Firstly, blogger tip #078 for the punters. If you are reading this you may have noticed a discrete little arrow pointing up in the bottom, right hand side of your browser window - don't be shy, go ahead and click it. Welcome back! I like it a lot and it is very handy should you want to read my post more than once? (nah, gammin!). Anyway I found this little gadget along with a whole bunch of blogger hacks here. Be aware that most of these require a little code monkeying, but depending on the author the instructions are easy to follow and for the most part it is all copy/paste. Just remember if you are on a Mac to replace instructions to press Ctrl+F with Command+F (the Safari 'find' shortcut, also found under the edit menu).
The process of forming and challenging assumptions is useful the critical analysis of design choices. It is another the tools used to build a critical discourse within the design process. Developing and maintaining these skills are crucial to fostering a healthy and productive design practice.

Week 04 - 3D

Class Format

Unfortunately as stated in my 2D entry also, I was absent for this weeks class. The class followed the usual format with a group exercise and practical exploration. The aim of the class was to further develop a critical discourse about design choices from within a collaborative environment.

Group Exercise

Experimentation: Exploring & Challenging

Each group member choose the best of their designs from last week’s practical. The group votes on the 3 best designs. Using the idea of experimentation the whole group discusses and researches how each chosen design concept could be explored and challenged. The Scribe for each group documents findings for 3 designs under these headings;
Considering my absence from todays class and what I felt was a relative thinness to last weeks weeks idea creation I will be focusing instead on a recent thing I built. A more accurate description would be of a thing I deconstructed and rebuilt differently. The thing is a 15 inch computer monitor and my intention was to give it a sense of the Steampunk aesthetic through the process of its strip down and reconfiguring from a horizontal to a vertical aspect. I appreciate the main focus of this exercise is to complete the reflections below in a group and as such I will be using my class peer proxy for this week. I will also be focusing our reflections on the one design project outlined above.

• Design Exploration.
  - Could the design be more 'steampunk'? For example more brass colour or more redundant apparatus.
  - Does the design intention work in its surroundings? Standing next to a shiny new iMac for example.
  - Would the design benefit from expansion? Two linked screens would add complexity and further lend itself to the intended aesthetic. Also considerable are differing dimensions and orientations.
• Design Challenges.
  - Safety? Exposed wiring, circuitry, etc.
  - Practicality? Design functionality.
  - Adaptability? Further repurposing of the hardware.

To the right is one of the monitors before I started hacking it. John Douglas acquired about fifty of the monitors with the (still in the works) intention of creating an artwork from them. He came across these through the I.T. company he works for during an office refit. Headed toward the skip bin he actually saved the company money by taking them away for the token sum of $100 (you have to keep the accountant happy and this type of thing happens more often than you would think). John Douglas has an obsession with redundant tech. Below is front and rear views of the monitor after my hack. There is another view in this post.

PRACTICAL – Design Exploration

Choose your favourite concept from all your current 3D designs. Use any tools you wish. Put the results and a paragraph of description in your Blog. Through a combo of research and creative thinking explore the possibilities of concept experimentation, variation and evaluation. List these items clearly, draft examples and explain your thinking.
Continuing from the above 'Experimentation' I will be focusing the steampunk monitor reconfiguration.

• Two Experiments
  - Rework the design to make more 'steampunk'.
  - Expand on the design for added functionality.
• Pros & Cons
  - Screen extension, inexpensive (they cost around $2 each for the reasons detailed above), following that expendable, versatile.
  - Safety issues, functionality issue (in that it is screwed to the desk).
• Choosing & Refusing
  - This was in all honesty a fast and dirty solution to the design problem posed. This was to take a redundant screen and inexpensively repurpose it to extend the screen of my shiny new Mac while giving it elements of a steampunk aesthetic. Further work (time) and extension via added redundant tech (money) would improve functionality, safety and the intended aesthetic. Although this would detract from two of my primary goals which was to create this with minimal expenditure and investment of time.

 

Research

Video

This came from the same place as the optical illusion in my 2D post. Here 2 dimensional forms give the illusion of a 3 dimensional space.

Images

Here is a more elaborate work in progress.

Here is a very elaborate and very polished example. While I'm on a roll, here is also an example of an OSX modification in the style of the steampunk aesthetic...

 

Reflection

First a quick tip for the punters. Lets say you downloaded an image some time ago and did not save the reference. Then you want to use that image somewhere like here where you must reference your source. You could try to remember the search terms you used and look for the image all over again, but there is a quicker way. Located in the search terms field of a google image search is a small camera icon, click that, upload the given image and google will find it for you.

I believe that it is essential for any creative endeavour to have built into its process an element of critical discourse. In the design field this will most often occur within a public forum. Gaining an understanding and participating in a version of it is a highly important component of this course. Specifically this week sought to demonstrate to us the importance of developing a process which would automatically, 'Challenge assumptions, reflect on ideas and refine approaches' (from the course outline). 

Week 04 - 2D

Class Format

Unfortunately I was absent for this weeks class, but I will forge ahead based on the PDF files relating to it. The class followed the usual format with a group exercise and practical exploration. The aim of the class was to further develop a critical discourse about design choices.

 

Group Exercise

Experimentation: Exploring & Challenging

Each group member choose the best of their designs from last week’s practical. The group votes on the 3 best designs. Using the idea of experimentation the whole group discusses and researches how each chosen design concept could be explored and challenged. The Scribe for each group documents findings for 3 designs under these headings;
As with my 3D entry, in light of my absence from this weeks class I will be using my class peer proxy for this exercise. I will be focusing my attention on last weeks design concept for a web portfolio based on irregular shapes (or at least not rectangular) as I believe this will provide the most interesting design challenge. I would prefer prefer to construct this with CSS and HTML with some Spry assets. The design also called for an interactive component. This will present its own challenge as it has been my experience that Flash can handle interactive content more effectively.

• Design Exploration
  - Shape considerations; within and overall.
  - Layout considerations; offset, counter balance, use of negative space.
  - The use of Fibonacci Spiral or 'Golden Ratio'.
  - Minimal aesthetic verses interactivity.
  - 
• Design Challenges
  - Will usability be affected by by an irregular layout.
  - Will animated gifs supply the required interactivity?
  - How will different browsers handle multiple AP Divs (floating)?
  -

PRACTICAL – Design Exploration

Choose your favourite design concept from all your current works. Use any tools you wish. Put the results and a paragraph of description in your Blog. Through a combo of research and creative thinking explore the possibilities of concept experimentation, variation and evaluation. List these items clearly, draft examples and explain your thinking.
Following from the above I will be concentrating on the design concept for my web portfolio. This exploration will concerned with the overall layout of the site.

• Two Experiments
  - Horizontally flip the design placing page content/image on the left side.
  - Vertically flip placing site title/logo at the bottom left.
• Pros & Cons
  - Using the Fibonacci Spiral provides an underlying visual balance.
  - Having an underlying structure provides a cohesive template for the entire site.
  - The flow of the page may challenge traditional (western) notions of how to read a page.
  - The design will necessarily employ multiple floating AP Div tags, this may have a less than desirable result in other browsers and mobile platforms (however this can also be tested or planned for).
• Choosing & Refusing
  - This is most certainly a work in progress. For me defining an underlying structure is a far more important consideration than the logistics required to deploy that structure. The basic layout here is strong, versatile and adaptive. The technicalities of delivering this are within the realm of my capabilities, while they will most certainly test them.

 

Research

Video

While disconcerting this is also pretty cool. It is really difficult to write this post as this gif is making me nauseous, I imagine that it is doing the same thing to you as you attempt to read this text. The original can be found here by an artist who simply calls himself davidope. Entering html mode made it easier to edit this post as all I had in front of me was raw html and no strobing graphic. I am including this here to show the strength of 2 dimensional representations when playing tricks on the mind. Now quickly scroll away before you throw up.

 

Images

I found this work via an RSS feed from Design You Trust, although this particular image can be found here. My first rule with Photoshop is regard images where you can see that Photoshop has been used as not using Photoshop properly. Work like this, however, pushes the image out the other side. You can still see that there is a photograph in there but it has begun to take on a painterly quality. I have another kind of respect for artists who can do this with Photoshop. As is the case with all of the links to artwork I find, I like to follow the link rabbit hole to find the original artist. This one was longer than usual and finally led me to Federico Bebber, who at the time of writing this has one of the cooler placeholder pages I have seen.

 

Reflection

Wow - I can't believe a data loss event got me again! This time a power outage at home with unsaved changes while editing a post. This is by no means an excuse as I will get the work done regardless, just a word of warning. Blogger auto saves a draft when you begin a post, when you edit a post it DOES NOT.