Spoken Poetry Inspiration for Pecha Kucha

Spoken Poetry Inspiration for Pecha Kucha 

So for my Pecha Kucha I would like to have the passion of spoken poem within it, it's actually what helped to inspire my manifesto. It thus feels fitting. Chelsea showed me Sarah Kay's spoken poem during class a couple weeks ago and I loved it. Her words strung together so beautifully and really had some of the visuals to connect to feelings that I wanted in my own manifesto. This can be seen in the way I tried to put my words together visually to express complex emotions and the idea of the importance of experience. The important part of my presentation will be showing the passion of life that I feel people should experience. Another good example of passion would be this spoken poem.

Although their passion may be a little too strong for my pecha kucha, the ideals pointed out really sing through to me and I hope as I go through the slides I have a well thought out way of portraying the story I'm trying to tell. The way they kept a firm beat really enabled the listener to connect with them. Finally, I hope I can somehow combine my ukulele as either background instrumentals or incorporate some form of singing. Well, I better finish my slides and practice, practice, practice!! 

Response to Chelsea Ziu's Inspiration for her Final Project

Response to Chelsea Ziu's Inspiration for her Final Project

I love Chelsea's manifesto idea. I agree that design is definitely a visual conversation. I'm really interested to see her final pecha kucha represent this idea. Not only do designs create visual conversations, but through them the viewer becomes intrigued by the mystery of the image. Everything can get mundane in day to day life and I feel the images we interact with will either be forgettable or memorable. Designers need to make sure their designs are the latter to be successful, but if done right it may stick with someone for years to come. 

Response to Ben Newark's Post on Ray Harryhausen

Response to Ben Newark's Post on Ray Harryhausen

I'm really interested in watching this documentary after reading Ben's post. I love stop motion animation and really appreciate the time animator's put into those films. They must have to be painstakingly patient to handle taking images of all those subtle movements. I believe in Monsters Inc. they mention Harryhausen by naming the restaurant that Mike takes his monster girlfriend to for her birthday after him. I will be definitely watching this documentary real soon! 

Pecha Kucha In the Making Post

Pecha Kucha In the Making Post

So far so good on my Pecha Kucha, I feel like all the time I've spent so far is really starting to show in the overall look of the presentation. I'm really excited about it. I want the pages to be detailed so I'm trying to put a lot of extra effort into the making of this presentation. I'm utilizing a lot of different forms of sources to make the piece feel as close to my manifesto as possible. As I go through the slides, I have my manifesto open next to me. That way I can emphasize the main points I have. My strongest imagery thus far is the way people carry their experiences. I have cut the powerpoint into two haves the people's understanding of experiences and then the relation to how designers use those experiences. 

On one slide in particular I use various forms of bags to show people that each person is unique and carries their memories in different ways. I'm hoping to now add the emotional connections that people can relate to in the slide. Then once the visual part is done, I hope I can add my ukulele to relate to the whole point of having different experiences. All in all I'm really satisfied with where this project is heading! Wish me luck!! 

Response to Chelsea Ziu's Frozen Snow Animation Post

Response to Chelsea Ziu's Frozen Snow Animation Post

This post was really interesting! I'm super excited to see Frozen and have been listening to the soundtrack all day so it was fun to learn about the science and animation behind the snow in the film. When the guy was first talking about the mathematics behind how the snow fell and worked I felt completely dumb, but once I saw the impact of the math in the animation it was really fascinating to see how it works together. The snow works amazingly well and I love the different settings depending on the thickness of the snow. Then when Chelsea mentioned the interaction the characters have to the environment is incredibly true. The character's personality shows through how they interact with the amount of snow. All in all a really interesting post.

Response to Cassie Sterbenz's Post

Response to Cassie Sterbenz's Post

I really love this clever ad. It not only is humorous, but presents the purpose of the product. This gruff man with a gorgeous girl with long hair. At first, I saw it as just a man with a great beard and then read the product label. Then after inspection I saw the woman, too. It gives the ad an almost dual purpose. It shows women and men the benefits of Garnier's hair products. 

Manifesto Post

Manifesto Post 

After reading through some of the manifesto's Stacie posted on the Visual Communications website, I kind of realized that my manifesto would probably not take the basic paragraph form. As a person, I don't usually do things the way others do. Sometimes I mess up and start all over again, my curiosity can get the best of me. Other times I can be stubborn about things, but always try to be flexible when it truly counts. I can be incredibly spontaneous and try silly things at the drop of a hat and I feel this reads into my designs. Out of the manifestos posted I connected most to Bruce Mau's incomplete manifesto. 

It has the same type of format I'd like to go for mine. His manifesto is more about a singular idea and then a couple sentences explaining this idea. It really is inspirational to read. I really love lists. It makes me feel like this is what I need to do rather than just comprehending a set list. 

Although I feel like my manifesto will have more visual sensations, I want there to be a feeling people can connect to through a visual explanation. My first draft for my manifesto touched on this, but I focused too much on relating my ukulele. After my long drive for Thanksgiving break and just seeing the visual wonders of how land and sky connect on a lonely road, my eyes have opened to the real meaning of my manifesto. I want to talk about the experiences we have in life that continue with us on the road of life. We carry these snips of life in a metaphorical suitcase, so when they're needed we can grab them. 

I feel this idea will really work and maybe I can add my ukulele to the pecha kucha part of the assignment. For my physical making of the book for the manifesto I hope to do a passport. The final format will be more of a spoken poem. I think i'd like it to be passionate, but more about the visual aesthetics that we connect with. Only time will tell. 

Response to Megan Snelten's Christmas Card Post

Response to Megan Snelten's Christmas Card Post

I really enjoyed these cards by Stephen Maurice Graham that Megan posted. It reveals the cynical side to Christmas that we tend to overlook. The art style is interesting and on some of the cards the humor is slightly disturbing, but it makes fun of the time of year we tend to look at with rose colored glasses. Also, the color pallet is simple, but responds well to the drawing style. 

Response to Grace Pritchett's Quote Post

Response to Grace Pritchett's Quote Post

I really like this quote by Annie Leibovitz that Grace posted. I feel this is incredibly true for designers and people in general. Our minds are constantly going and comprehending what our eyes see. This is an endless process from the day we're born to the day we die. At times it's hard, but I feel this is one of the reasons I'm personally so fascinated with the world around us. I tend to see it with my eyes wide open, so as to not lose a moment of it. This feeling is what I want to create in my pecha kucha. That feeling of wonder that we tend to lose as we get older, that feeling of curiosity. 

Response to Shelby Jacobs's Timeline Post

Response to Shelby Jacobs's Timeline Post

I really liked Shelby's Timeline it was really interesting to read and find out a little about another classmate's life. I feel like she's accomplished a lot in this last year and find it  motivationally inspirational especially starting to volunteer at the humane society! I liked the limited pallet choice, but found the font choice could've used some work. Overall, I think her timeline was effective in the goals of the project.  

Response to Ben Newmark's Post

Response to Ben Newmark's Post on the Series Bee and Puppycat

I whole heatedly agree with Ben's comments on this newly made series. Over the past summer channel Frederator released the two episodes of Bee and Puppycat. The episodes were beautifully animated and the colors are great. It's a lot like the magical girl series I watched as a little girl, only Bee is a grown adult like me. It's incredibly enjoyable to watch Bee go through these abnormal situations and react to them as an adult. This style of show is usually aimed at children, but it's really fun that it focuses more on an adult audience. 

Kiki's Delivery Service Appreciation Post

Kiki's Delivery Service Appreciation Post 

Kiki's Delivery Service is a childhood film that I hold dearly to my heart. It was created by the renown Japanese animation studio, Studio Ghibli. As a child I always remembered how different it looked in comparison to all the Disney films I'd watch like Beauty and the Beast. I think its the design qualities that stood out to me. The backgrounds of the film are visually detailed from the streets in the town Kiki is training in to the bakery she helps out. Kiki and the other characters are designed so endearingly. Kiki is a witch in training that must leave home for a year, so she leaves home and finds a large town by the ocean. Here she works very hard and creates her own flying delivery service. Through trials and friendships Kiki learns about believing in herself and letting that belief fuel her powers.

Overall, I love the various atmospheres in Kiki's world. From her childhood home to her friend the artist's cottage in the woods, Kiki's world is so warm and inviting. I would love to live there since it's so cozy. If you're looking for a film that's sweet, warm, and nice simple tale Kiki's Delivery Service is for you. Another thing I love is all the food in this film. I feel a lot Studio Ghibili films has the quality. They make you want to eat and try all the foods the characters are surrounded by. Also, I love the mixture of magic and realism in this film. Kiki can fly and such, but otherwise the story is highly realistic and tells more about her coming of age. There isn't any sign of sparks and such. It makes the film all the more interesting with the hints of magic you see. Kiki's Delivery Service is more about the magic within than external magic and that's what makes this film a gem. 

Avatar the Last Airbender- Appreciation Post

Avatar the Last Airbender: Appreciation Post

This show is probably one of my all time favorites. The plot is amazing
 and flowed between seriousness and humor with ease. At the heart of Avatar is its characters. Each character is so well-rounded and fleshed out. They all have their strength and weaknesses not only in battle, but personality. 

The main character is the actual Avatar named Aang. He wakes after being frozen for one hundred years to find the world unbalanced and at war. It's the Avatar's job to bring peace, which Aang at the young age of twelve must do. With the help of his friends they begin a journey. This journey is fleshed out through its vivid use of animation and colors. The details make the show worth watching visually as well. I love the style and how it evolves through the seasons. 

Also, the whole lore on the Avatar is really engaging and makes you want to know more about it. In the recent sequel series The Legend of Korra, that I believe is by far inferior to its predecessor it did have an hour episode over the creation of the Avatar. This episode was by far one of the best in a long time. The entire episode had the feel of the original series with a unique art style to match. Avatar the Last Airbender is a great animated television show that I highly recommend not only for its plot, but beautfiul design details and animation. It's one of the reasons I wanted to go into Illustration in the first place.  

Response to Grace Pritchett's Post

Response to Grace Pritchett's Post

For the beginning of our fourth project we had to make a list of events in our life for a timeline we would be creating. I love Grace's version of her events. She mainly put basic words like birth, but then proceeded to add just locations like states. It's nice to see another way people are taking this project and the way their mind goes through the thinking process. 

Kyoukai no Kanata Appreciation Post

Kyoukai no Kanata Appreciation Post

This is an anime that is currently airing in Japan this fall. Most anime shows air up to 12 or 13 episodes a season. Some get a second season while many only have a single season. Currently, Kyoukai no Kanata is a single season show and it really works for it. When anime shows have single season (in most cases) it makes the show a lot of more interesting. The creators have to tastefully put a lot of plot into a small amount of time and it works. This gives them the ability to focus on those twelve episodes rather than making an incredibly long series. It makes the single season that much more enjoyable and beautiful to watch. They really think about the design and story combined. The attention to detail can be seen more in a single season rather than a multiple seasoned show. I feel this is the defining difference between Japanese and American shows. 

While America is about continuously making something that is past its prime (Like Two and Half Men, How I Met Your Mother, The Office, etc.) Japan focuses on trying and experimenting with new styles and plots. After a season if it works to a certain point, they may make another season. In most cases though, a single season can act as a stand alone story. Now back to Kyoukai no Kanata. This show is really beautifully animated. The animation flows well together and the color scheme really works with whatever mood the creators are trying to make. 

Although the basic plot is a bit cliched for an anime show, it works well. They redevelop the cliches and the colors are really beautiful. I especially love how the main characters are the ones with the lightest or different colored hair. The thing I love most though, it the female protagonist. She is the cutest character I've seen in a while and I would love to be just as cute as her. She always wears this big pink cardigan with her red glasses and she just is too cute! The design team did a great job on making her as cute as possible. From her klutzy habits to her big appetite and how her glasses become crooked on her face every now and then. I really love her design. She is just too adorable for words. Although the plot is just starting in Kyoukai no Kanata, I highly recommend it for its animation and great use of colors. The show is one that you shouldn't miss. 

American Horror Story: Murder House- Appreciation Post

American Horror Story: Murder House Appreciation Post

Now I know this is a very different show than I normally talk about, but I just spent the last twenty-four hours binge watching the first season of this show. It is great. The design of this show is amazing I love it so much. All the scary aspects of horror are placed in this show, but its well done and a new twist is added to these usually cliched elements. A brief synopsis of the show is your basic "American Family" moves into this house where its previous home owners were brutally murdered. After further research, the family discovers a number of people have died in or around this house. As they learn of all these deaths, you discover the imperfections of the family as well. 

One of the best points about the show is each episode begins with a specific person or group of people's deaths. It explains the back story of why certain ghostly characters are the way the are. Then throughout the episode aspects of their death are reawakened. I really love this tone of the show. One important thing this show has that makes it so great is consistency. I feel some horror movies/shows lose this after a while, but even within each episode a consistent theme is displayed and it works really well. Besides the great interior design of the house, each character has their own style and qualities that make the show all the more interesting. 

Although, I feel my favorite feature of the show is its intro. I love it so much. The combination of the music, the sharp cuts between various scary or suspenseful images really contributes to the entire show. It gives the viewer the essence of terror with a basic understanding of the show, without giving any of the story away. It could almost work as a stand alone art piece, but I love that it's combined with such a well done storyline. I'm looking forward to watching the second season and hope I'm not disappointed. 

Response to Kaitlin Obermeyer's Post

"All you need is one good comment, just one little thing to hold on to." 

-Elijah Gowin explaining what it's like to be in a design critique.

Response to Kaitlin Obermeyer's Post

I think this quote Kaitlin posted is incredibly true. In design critiques are increasingly common and you have to be able to take them constructively if you're ever going to survive. It's something I've learned the hard way, but now have moved past. I prefer criticism over compliments, because I feel they further my designs rather than compliments do. Now looking at how this semester has developed I realize how much I've come to mature through the criticism. On rare occasions recently I've felt down about my designs, and those singular compliments have kept me going. They make me realize how much I've come and how far I still have to go before I feel I can call myself an Illustrator. 

Response to Ben Newark's Post on Superman

Response to Ben Newark's Post on Superman

It was really interesting to find out that Superman has been around for 75 years. I loved the animation style of the video Ben posted and how it went through the years. Although I haven't seen the most recent film, I love how people still enjoy him today and how Superman can be enjoyed by all generations. 

Response to Haley Sosnoff's Post on Mary Engelbreit

Response to Haley Sosnoff's Post on Mary Engelbreit

I agree with Haley. Mary Engelbreit has such a great style. I love the fact that she adds such minute details to everything, even the tea pots above. It has these great details, but also this cartoony style that works so well together. I hope one day I could be as good as her. I think her style is something I want to work towards and that was one of my original reasons for choosing her as one of my three designers. 

Response to Grace Pritchett's Post on Website Inspiration

Response to Grace Pritchett's Post on Website Inspiration

I love the website inspirations on Grace's post. They are completely different from the design examples I had. I especially loved the one pictured above its so simple, but unique at the same time. All three websites are great forms of inspiration. I agree with Grace on the fact that the photo galleries are really well done and interesting. 

Princess Jellyfish Appreciation Post

Princess Jellyfish Appreciation Post

This is an anime that I think is a great form of design. The story and characters are well done and the backgrounds and details of the overall animation really add to it. One thing I especially loved about the show is the flow from the more realistic "serious" style to the humorous more cartoony form. It really is a great tool in breaking up the sense of suspense and keep the audience's attention. Also, the plots use of Japanese culture is well done, but is easy for a foreigner to comprehend and understand. Another aspect I love about the show is the color palette. Many of the characters have more of a pastel or softened look. Nothing sticks out to predominantly. 

I also love the attention to detail on each character. The main protagonist pictured above goes through a style transformation periodically through the eleven episode series. You can tell the creators really thought-out her designs and outfits as well as the drastic difference of being stylish and unstylish. It's a great character development tool and gives her a more well-rounded personality as she hates to dress-up. Also, this anime reinvents the usual Cinderella cliche. Especially with the male fairy godmother, who constantly cross dresses. The humorous tone comes across by the fact that this cross dressing man usually looks more beautiful than the main female protagonist as well as their interactions. This show is incredibly engaging and makes the viewer interested in jellyfish and teaches them a valuable lesson about inner beauty.  

Website Appreciation Post

Website Appreciation Post

One of my all time favorite website designs is for the web comic My Cardboard Life, which I have written about prior. The overall look fits perfectly in the world the comic takes place in. Not only is the background cardboard, but everything has that cut or ripped look, like the comic itself. For those who don't know, My Cardboard Life is a comic about Cardboard Colin and Paper Pauline as well as their friends and family. Everyone is made of physical everyday objects, which include bandaids, paper clips, etc. Philippa Rice beautifully portrays their unique world into the website's design. It's just as individual as the story itself. 

In general, I really love the design of web comics. I feel the designers really think about what they are trying to convey to their audience. Especially in the web comic Ava's Demon. The design is so well executed. Instead of having pages of dialogue, the author lets the images tell the story and it does a great job. It's more like a storybook and the times that they use flash animation, makes the story come visually alive. 

Another website that I have actually mentioned before is the one for the Pixar animated film Monsters University. I love the details of this website. The whole site is essentially made to advertise the film, but has the authenticity of an actual university website. You can tell that it was well-thought out. There are even products you can purchase to show off your MU pride. All in all a great "fake" website. 

Response to Sydeny Lenz's Post

Response to Sydney Lenz's Post

I love how Sydeny's final manual came out it looks great. The best quality of her manual is the fact that I could see it inside a car or attached to a car battery. This manual flows well and for a non-car specialist like me, is very easy to read. Also, the visual images are simple, which makes the information instant and understandable. 

Rise of the Guardians Appreciation Post

Rise of the Guardians Appreciation Post

 After almost being released about a year ago, I finally saw Rise of the Guardians and actually really loved it. I feel this movie gets a lot of crap that it really doesn't deserve. Not only was it amazingly designed, the story was heart felt and sweet. I love Jack Frost's background. Also, the details in each character's design made it hard to choose a favorite. The plot was well done. These intimidating guardians protect the children of the world, but have lost their true connections with them. They work hard to protect children, but don't have time for children, as Santa says in the film. 

What made this film well designed were the small details like the frost on Jack's hoodie and the sandman's use of sand pictures to talk, since he can't actually talk. The Toothfairy's outfit was so detailed with all its feather's and Bunnymund's fur looked extremely soft. I especially loved Santa's arm tattoo's of the naughty and nice lists. One thing that does bug me about this film though is why can't adult's dreams be protected too? I mean seriously, what's the deal? Are we so corrupt that these guardians just drop us like a hot potato? Anyway, the well designed characters is what makes this film so good. Also, the fact that Dreamwork's animated these detailed etchings of frost. Besides the minor criticism, I truly loved Rise of the Guardians and will definitely be watching it again soon. 

Response to Ben Newark's Alex Ross Post

Response to Ben Newark's Alex Ross Post 

I agree about Alex Ross's painting work. It looks amazing. It really makes me want to paint better and learn everything I can about it. From the images on Ben's post I'm surprised how detail his pieces can be from painting and at times the colors almost look like water colors. Alex Ross is definitely an artist to aspire to be like. 

Journey: The Videogame Appreciation Post

Journey Appreciation Post

Over this past weekend I watched a "Let's Play" version of the video game Journey. I heard a lot about it when it first came out last year and was curious. The game isn't that long it tops out at about three hours of play, but makes up for its short time with vivid details. I mean this game is a design masterpiece. It's so beautiful and I highly recommend watching someone else play, that way you can enjoy all the sumptuous details. 

The image above is an actual point in the game where you slide across waves of sand. It's gorgeous attention to detail never misses a beat and makes Journey come across more as a visual art rather than a game. What makes Journey stand out against its competition is that you play as a silent robed figure traveling across a seemingly never ending desert to climb to the top of the mountain that always appears to loom on the horizon. Journey thrives on its attention to detail. As a person goes through the game, the landscape changes and adapts. It gives the game an overall organic appearance that feels lost in other digital games. 

Another aspect that truly revolutionizes this game is the overall story. The never ending Journey is a larger metaphor for life. Your playable character is a quiet figure that knows little about the world around it at the beginning of the game. As they travel and learn they grow until they reach their enlightenment, or death at the very top of the mountain. Journey is a game with no words, just beautiful accompaniment and the best part is you can play with others, but never know who they are. Your character appears so small against its expansive background and having someone to travel with almost sets you at ease against the loneliness of silence. 

All in all Journey transcends the game category and evolves into an experience of life and the beauty of this other post apocalyptic world. I hope one day that I can actually play it myself and enjoy the gameplay part of this visual story. 

How to Cut Your Hair and Take Risks in Design

How to Cut Your Hair and Take Risks in Design

After five years of growing out my hair, I cut it all off the previous weekend. Here are some facts about my prior mindset to the drastic cut. First, I had never cut my hair shorter than right in the middle of my neck. Second, I had no clue how my hair would react to the short length with it being so curly and third, I had cut seven inches off my hair earlier in the summer and saw no difference in the appearance. So I knew it was time for a huge change. I wanted to look different. My life experiences had changed me internally now that I turned twenty, but I wanted an external representation of this alteration. As I walked to the hair salon, my nerves grew more and more afraid of change. Yet I kept walking, and figured that this hair risk can easily correlate to the risk any designer takes in their designs. 

Sometimes going off the easy road is scary and taking risks can lead to terrible disasters, but those chances can make all the difference in a good design. By taking a chance a design can be escalated to a whole new level of art and comprehension. The Design world is filled with risk takers that have success and mistakes, but they learn from both. I needed to overcome my fear to push myself more in design. This contemplation made my walk easier, my footing lighter. Once I sat in the barber's chair, I was ready. It was so liberating to feel the weight of the last five years fall from my head. Not only did I take a risk and succeed, I also closed a chapter in my life and welcomed the new experiences to come. 

Response to Cassie Sterbenz's Question

Response to Cassie Sterbenz's Question

I think it's good to do a little of both. People recognize Coca Cola because of the longevity of the logo's use. Although, they also constantly have various different types of can designs coming out or in use. I mean not only do the sizes differ, but many of the cans have different looks that provide the old logo with some freshness. Unlike Pepsi, that tends to update every so often. I think they do it to connect with the younger generation and sometimes it's cool, but audiences usually don't respond well to change. Especially, the last change Pepsi's logo went through. 

Response to Haley Sosnoff's Post

Response to Haley Sosnoff's Post 

I whole heartedly agree. This type plus mason jar makes a great combination and looks well polished. The colors add to the overall effect of the advertisement as well. Another great aspect is the vintage of the logo combined with vintage nature of mason jars and the background. 

Comments on Ben Newark's Post

Comments on Ben Newark's Blog Post 

Ben Newark's Blog

I loved the fact that Ben decided to critique the new version of DC's character Lobo. Design can go in two directions and can either be good or bad. I like that Ben chose to look at the bad and comment on the loss of the original character's zest. Which from the look of his new design, he does not even connect with the man Ben described. 

The Start of Project 2

The Start of Project 2

To be honest, I'm actually really looking forward to this project. I've always been interested in grids and proper hierarchy. So I'm glad I get to learn about it! One of the main reasons I feel like being a design major fits me so well is my unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Over the last year I truly grew to understand my love to learn. Not only did I learn new things in college, but I tried new things and began to teach myself various other skills. In design we have to deal with so many different clients and forms, that I feel like you always have to learn something new to create that great final product. Some other jobs you can only learn so much about a specific subject, but in design you learn more than just design you have to thoroughly understand the subject of what or whoever your creating something for. 

My curiosity of things is constantly expanding. I'm always trying to learn or understand. I also love to evolve the opinions I already have with new knowledge. Right now I currently have various skills I'm trying to teach myself on the side. They include: playing the ukulele, cooking, knitting, becoming ambidextrous, and maybe practicing whistling or learning grammar better. My desire to learn never stops. That's why I'm glad for my manual of choice. I chose the Owl Mug Wrap directions. 

I already love knitting, so having an understanding of crochet would be cool too! Not only could I make these directions look aesthetically a lot more easier to process for the viewer's eye, but I can try my hand at crochet. I love crafting! So it kind of kills two birds with one stone. Also, it'd definitely give me better photos for the final piece. Although the important thing is the grid I'll be making, rather than the photos. I think photos are important, too though in the aspect that its what catches the viewer's eye first. 

Anyway for those interested, we can learn how to crochet together. I'm teaching myself through mainly online tutorials and this is one I found last night that seems really informal on the beginning process. 

Hope everyone has as much fun with their second project as I am!