Revised Flash

New Flash Video

Storyboard

This is my Storyboard idea for my product.

Interesting Business Cards

The blog Core77 is holding its 1 Hour Design Challenge: Business Card Hacks. Designers are welcome to submit their ideas to make business cards more interesting. Currently, in my Visual Communications class, I am designing an identity for a wine bar, and feel like it is a great opportunity to explore unconventional designs for something as simple as a business card. Current entries include a business card that doubles as an Ipod holder and another is a pen holder.

http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/1_hour_design_challenge_highlight_inside_job_free_iphone_earbud_winder_13092.asp

Any Surface into an Interface

The "Sixth Sense" system designed by Patti Maes' Fluid Interfaces Group at the MIT Media Lab is a prototype that could greatly change to world of interactive design. Imagine being able to bring alive newspapers or frame out pictures with your fingertips and reducing buttons to finger gestures.

"The SixthSense prototype is comprised of a pocket projector, a mirror and a camera. The hardware components are coupled in a pendant like mobile wearable device. Both the projector and the camera are connected to the mobile computing device in the user’s pocket. The projector projects visual information enabling surfaces, walls and physical objects around us to be used as interfaces; while the camera recognizes and tracks user's hand gestures and physical objects using computer-vision based techniques."

http://www.core77.com/blog/technology/mits_wearable_sixth_sense_device_turns_any_surface_into_an_interface_13084.asp

MonkeyTown

Last week, I saw a segment on 7 ABC News in New York about the restaurant Monkeytown in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn. This eclectic place combines food with art and is well worth the visit. Dinner is served in a square room lined with lounge chairs and dinner is served on coffee tables. Videos are then projected on each of the four walls. Last month's dinner series was called the Color Palette Project which was a ten course meal, each course based on a different color. Artists were then hired to create videos inspired by each color. The food was amazing and the visuals went really well with the foods. I highly recommend it.

http://www.monkeytownhq.com/monkeytownhome.html

Mapping Innovation

McKinsey Digitial has gone through the process of analyzing Patent data and tracking the number, growth, and diversity of patents issude between the yearss 1997 to 2006. The information has been broken down into three different catagories: 'hot springs' are small, fast-growing hubs, 'dynamic oceans' consist of vibrant ecosystems with continuous creation, and 'silent lakes' have been unable to expand beyond their start-up core and are slowly migrating down the chain. The results are surprising with Kiel, Germany and Miyazaki, Japan, being the most up-and-coming innovations, while New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia lacking in innovation.

http://www.core77.com/blog/business/mckinsey_maps_the_worlds_innovation_clusters_12954.asp

http://whatmatters.mckinseydigital.com/flash/innovation_clusters/

Skeuomorph Tagline, Treatment, & Storyline

StoryBoard

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Statement:  People brought closer through the clarity of communication.

Tagline:  Live Simply Spoken

Short Story:

-Mother contently rocking child to sleep next to product

-Flashes of images from the great day they have had together 

Playing, Eating, Walking in the Park

-End with baby sleeping peacefully

Clo Wine Bar

There is a new wine bar by Columbus Circle in the Times Warner Center called Clo and presents wine in an "entirely new dimension".  "It features a revolutionary multi-user, multi-touch proection menu, which allows customers to easily explore and find information on all of our wines available.  Guests can learn about a wine, it's history and tasting profile, then quickly find its location within the bar. " The more than 100 wine selections can be enjoying by customers freely going up to dispensers that will pour out 4 oz. of wine to taste.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3cWSGZydgbw

Stop Motion Movie for Skeuomorph

Story Board

This is my story board for the Stop Motion Movie for my prodcut Skeuomorph.

Story Board

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Projects Igniting Change

Teaming up with the Adobe foundation, Worldstudio launched a new project called Design Ignites Change in which high school and college students will be encouraged to use their design skills to take part in projects that encourage social change.  A major part of the initiative is a mentoring program in which the high school students will be encouraged by older students and working professionals.  It is a great program that pushed teenagers to get involved in their community through the use of their talents.  

"Creativity holds enormous power for fostering positive social change.  Instilling this ideal in the next generation of creative professionals is core to Design Ignites Change."

DesignIgnitesChange.org

Customized Newspapers?

MediaNewsGroup, the nation's fourth-largest newspaper chain, has developed a newspaper service that allows people to customize the information they would like to include in their newspaper.  In direct response to the individualization  allowed through the internet, a prototype of the concept will be released this summer at the Los Angeles Daily News.  MediaNewsGroup is also working with a technology company to develop a printer specifically to print out the newspaper once created.  Clearly, not fully developed, the idea has generated much skepticism and ridicule.  

www.nytimes.com/2009/03/09/business/media/09print.html?ref=media

Great Presenting

In Seth Godin's March 5th blog entry, he discusses the two essential elements needed to be a great presenter: Respect from the audience and Love to the audience.  The audience needs to believe that you are there to give them your all and your love comes in the form of wanting to motivate and inspire them.  If the audience doesn't respect you, you must find a way in the beginning to gain that respect.  This could include how you are introduced to what you are wearing.  You must have confidence and realize its not about you, its about what you are presenting and ultimately, the audience.

sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/the-two-elements-of-a-great-presenter.html

How Far is too Far in the Packaging of Water?

In Steven Heller's February 27th blog entry on nytimes.com, he discusses the surprising diversity of packaging generated for the simplest product, water.  With every size and shape imaginable, Heller first states that if people are willing to pay for it, why can't a bottle for water be upscaled and designed well?  However, the Aquadeco bottle may have pushed it too far.  

"Aquadeco is spring water in an Art Deco-style container that looks like a vintage 1930s perfume.  The 750-ml glass bottle (about $12) comes with an optional illuminated base to provide a romantic candlelight aura, and a decorative sack to suggest an opulent gift."

Heller fittingly describes the bottle as looking more like a perfume bottle than a water bottle.  

http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/graphic-content-water-by-any-other-bottle/

Buyer's are Passionate about Packaging

Pepsi Co. released a new advertising campaign, including packaging, print ads and commercials, for their brand Tropicana in January 2009.  Within 3 months, that packaging is being scrapped.  Why?  Consumers voiced their opinions through letters, emails, and telephone calls describing the new packaging as generic and ugly.  Pepsi Co.  was surprised out the outcry and in the end could not ignore the passion of their most devoted consumers.  In contrast, their overall campaign is earning praise for its family imagery, specifically with images of fathers and children, a rare occurence in food ads.   

www.nytimes.com/2009/02/23/business/media/23adcol.html?pagewanted=1&sq=tropicana&st=Search&scp=1

Experience Design

In a post by Allan Chochinov on Core77, he acknowledges the latest release of the book Experience Design by Nathan Shedroff, who invented the discipline of the same name.  On Nathan's site, describes Experience Design as incorporating "Time/Duration, Interactivity, Breadth/Consistency, Sensorial and Cognitive Triggers, and Significance and Meaning."  Experience Design is not just digital and incorporates all the aspects of media a brand needs to address to create compelling experiences.

http://www.core77.com/blog/business/experience_design_11_reissued_12650.asp

http://www.nathan.com/

One Common Charger

In a recent blog on core77.com, a major development was announced in world of cell phones!  No longer will we need to have a dozen different cell phone chargers at home, hoping that we grab the right one on our way out the door in case our cell phone dies.  In an agreement reached by mobile communications consortium GSMA, cell phones will now all share the same type of charging socket.  It won't completely happen until 2012, but better than never.

http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/cell_phone_common_charger_initiative_12653.asp

Design for Sustainability

Green Patriot Posters is "a communications campaign" to encourage and inspire US citizens to get involved with sustainability by creating eye-catching posters to promote a greener way of life.  Their first campaign was designed by Michael Bierut from Pentagram and included bus ads promoting green jobs and transportation.  The initiative is currently looking for entries and the winners will be distributed to a wide audience.

greenpatriotposters.org

The Rebranding of Sustainability

In Emily Pillonton's February 13th entry on Core 77, she discusses the issues of sustainability explored at a conference at Adobe Headquarters in San Francisco. Many interesting points were brought up with the main overlying idea that sustainability needs a rebranding. It is often viewed as using less and concerving, rather than something that is additive and creative. Adobe also discussed how the tools they create can aid designers striving to implement sustainable processes.

http://www.core77.com/blog/events/reflections_design_for_sustainability_roundtable_at_adobe_12625.asp#more

Picture: Core 77

Long Live the Art!

In Holland Cotter's February 12th entry on nytimes.com, he addresses the effect the economic crisis has on the art world. When money is abundant, it seems that the art world suffers. The wealthy spend their money on contemporary "trendy" works and, therefore, influence the art world to homogenize. The "boom may be over", but it appears that it will allow for more artists to flourish and encourage imagination and diversity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/15/arts/design/15cott.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=design

Design Writing

In a Core 77 post by William Bostwick, he discusses ways to improve your writing skills as a designer.  We can't get away from having to convey our ideas to clients and fellow designers in the form of emails, proposals, etc.  The article is broken up into five steps to remember when writing: "Use your skills", "Kill jargon", "Tell a story", "Don't be afraid to put yourself into your writing", and "Don't say too much".  In the end, you want your writing to sound like it is coming from you and to be as unique as the work it is describing.

Photo: Robert Patrick

http://www.core77.com/blog/featured_items/how_not_to_write_like_a_designer_5_tricks_you_didnt_learn_in_studio_12363.asp

Pratt's Walls Should be BLUE!

In a February 5th article published in the NY Times, a study conducted by the University of British Columbia on the effects of color on brain functioning was explored.  The researchers studied 600 people broken up into two groups.  Each group was given written tasks set on a background of either red or blue.  They found that the red group did better on tasks involving analytical thinking and detail oriented questions.  The blue group did better on creative thinking tasks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/06/science/06color.html?_r=1

Fight Over Obama's Picture

In a February 5th entry on the NY Times section Art Beat, a lawsuit between the Associated Press and visual artist Shepard Fairey over the rights of a photograph is reported.  The AP is says it owns the rights to a photograph that served as the basis for Fairey's mixed-media collage and therefore, must be compensated for the use of it.  However, Fairey claims he is protected by fair-use standards and that his is an abstracted version and very different from the original.

Photo: Associated Press

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/ap-says-it-owns-image-in-obama-poster/

Brand Platform Theme

"Skeuomorphs are versatile, user-friendly objects that bring together people of all generations."

Brand Platform Images

Abstract Photos

View more presentations from Liz Motolese.

The Start of a Brand

For our Digital Design class, we needed to come up with a Brand Platform inspired by the book Tomorrow Now: Envisioning the Next Fifty Years by Bruce Sterling, the best-selling visionary author. My concept for my brand will stem from the following quote from the book:


"Contemporary people strongly prefer to live among ritual architectural symbols of personal heritage and continuity. These pastiche forms ("colonial", "classical", "Southwestern", "Tudor") used to be stark necessities from the past's construction industries. Houses with these shapes are no longer technically necessary, but they hang around because of legislation, property values, and sentiment. These forms are technically known as "skeuomorphs", old shapes patiently carried into a new culture because they bolster our self-image, define our identities, and somehow make us feel better about ourselves. Skeuomorphs are tastefully retro and carry a reassuring message of firm purpose and continuity." (Sterling, 78)

The Fight Within

Seth Godin's blog is an excellent resource for young designers. In his January 26th entry, he talks about the struggle within to find the self-confidence to concentrate on your work as opposed to focusing on your desire not to screw up. I strongly related to this entry because I found my goals on the outside are often to communicate my design ideas clearly and to produce noteworthy work. Quite often though, my real goal that blankets everything is to just not to fail. I find myself worrying more that I won't be able to produce anything, let alone anything good. I need to embrace the fact that, yes, I may fail at somethings, but that it is ok in the long run and will make my future work all that much better.

Finding the "Professional" in You, Or Not?

In his January 29th entry on his blog, Seth Godin writes about the struggle of multi-faceted designers competing with more specialized professionals. Employers often want a specific task executed and are focused on getting the right set of skills for that job. They don't necesssarily care what other talents you have. Godin gives four options as to how to deal with this situation, but stresses his final solution. Embrace what makes you special and be ok with being an amatuer. You will appear unique and it may just help you in the long run.

Tangible Media

In her October 18th entry of her blog By Design on nytimes.com, Allison Arieff discusses the inherent personal qualities of hand creations that enable the works to stand the test of time. She views them as affirmations of our existence and ways of recording the intimate details of our lives, something lost through digital media. In these tough times, people yearn for the familial and tangible. It is important as designers to find ways to integrate the two worlds by layering hand graphics with digital outputs.