Necessity is .......

As those of you in studio may know, I am currently compiling a journal of all the creative ways

people improvise cooling stands for their laptops. Here are a few I have spotted so far. Gee, do

you think there's a design opportunity here?

Nerf Gun - Matt Brown

Thumbtack box - James Lee

Spray paint can lids - Maggie Pine

Engineering ruler - author

If you're a sunglasses freak.... SOLARIS!!

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://solarisvintage.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/yoko-ono-porsche-5620.jpg&imgrefurl=http://solarisvintage.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/yoko-ono-porsche-5620-by-carrera/&usg=__v0cMjo1CH9n1D9Ci1Mtu9nTwuLQ=&h=500&w=500&sz=20&hl=en&start=40&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=Ga4sL6BNcLHkfM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dopen%2Bbox%26start%3D36%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1

DesComm ,oh DesComm

DesComm with Michael ... how was it? Pretty damn good I say.

Rework the portfolios with the insight of someone currently employed in ID...check.

Learn about the power of a grid...check.

Utilize the knowledge of two upperclassmen who have been through it before...check.

Learn how to develop and present product ideas in different phases of design....check.

Receive usable, detailed feedback about our work and our progress...check.

DesComm Winter quarter 2010.....success.

Thanks Mike, Nick, and Sam!

Time to self evaluate

How am I doing this quarter? Did i improve? Did i learn anything?

Of course, of course, doing great! Almost done all together for the quarter...oh yeah!

So what did I learn? A lot

Use a grid when laying out the portfolio.

More pictures, less wordy things.

Less is more.

Impact, contrast, push it, don't be scared.

You don't always have to stick to all the deadlines...

if it can be justified and is for a better result,

make it happen.

I still don't know as much as I think I might.

There are still no dumb questions you can ask.

All in all it's been a good quarter.

Goals for next quarter, co-op quarter that is.

Pay attention at the new job and learn what makes a product a

world beater. Understand why one product is more appealing than

another from a packaging and branding standpoint.

Sketching!

Explore more of Solidworks and its surfacing capabilities.

Soak it all in.

ummm...Chicago in the Spring. Time to break in the camera :)

Good to see everyone keeping on!

Jon-O!

http://jonmartindesign.blogspot.com/2010/02/architect-desk-review.html

V-Nessa!

http://vanessamelendez.blogspot.com/

A-Lex!

http://awa64.dreamhosters.com/2010/03/science-marches-on/

Design blogging

Is design an effective way to communicate about design? I think so, it's a great way to reach an

audience, FOR FREE , that you wouldn't be able to otherwise even if you paid for it. Right now

someone could be reading this, (other than you), anywhere they get internet in the world.

Anywhere.

Now, as you know, I'm older than most of you by about 13 or 14 years. It doesn't seem that huge

in terms of our relative ages but by the evolution of technology in the last 13 or 14 years it's

ginormous. I can remember when sending mail meant, well, sending an actual piece of paper in

an actual envelope. In turn receiving mail meant waiting...days, and days. Now we can share

ideas, specifically design ideas, immediately.

Is blogging an effective form of communication for designers...yes.

Favs

My three favorite, can't do without products. Man this is difficult!

OK,

1. My money clip.

Its' compact, doesn't bulge out in my pocket, fits in the front pocket where it's

less likely to be snatched up by a lazy ass thief, and because it only holds like 5

cards and some bills it self regulates the amount of shit that I carry around. Brilliant!

2. My cheap Meijer house brand "Sports" watch.

This thing is so understated it doesn't even have a brand lol. Keeps perfect time, universal sizing,

Electroluminescent display for night viewing, stopwatch, alarm to wake the dead,date, durable,

maintains body temperature in cold weather,and only $12. Not half bad looking either. And if I

lose it I won't cry about it. Success!

3. My GPS, absolutely.

Quite possibly the most rewarding $100 I have ever spent ...on anything. Out of the box it does

exactly what it's supposed to. No more driving and reading stupid directions and if i do happen

to miss an exit...it will turn me around and reroute me back to where I need to be. YES!

And I can upload my own GPS coordinates for when I go hiking offroad, etc. Love it.

How am I doing?

Initially the point of starting this blog was to,...well,...start a blog about design. So far so good. But

how good? As part of starting this blog I publicly stated my goals for this quarter and in doing so

I feel that I had entered into a contract with my readers to stick to these goals.

Lets see how I've done.....following are the three goals and the updates to date as to how I've

done with them.

1.

Update my portfolio so I can get a new co-op for the Spring. I'm excited to get working on this

and tighten up some of my projects so they're easier to understand. Portfolio reworking always

a struggle but well worth doing. -Specifics will be griding out a template to work within and

having other people outside of design review my portfolio. I always take it for granted that

designers will be the only ones looking at it but this is not the case.

How did I do?

Great! I netted out with a clean, professional, well laid out portfolio that has been met with

positive response. I invested an extra 2 weeks into getting it the way I wanted but it was

so,so,worth it to have something nice.

2.

Improve my sketching skills. -Specifics will be backsketching my current projects and

consistently taking time each day to sketch. I'm studying other designers sketching styles and

narrowing what could work best for me.

How did I do?

Fair. Did I get better, yes, incrementally. Will I continue to improve , yes. The key point is that I

have a better understanding of what makes a really dynamic sketch, rough or finished. I also

learned a lot more about effective layout of sketches.

3.

Get to know more graduated designers and ASK MORE QUESTIONS! Knowledge is power and

you don't learn everything in school.

How did I do?

Good but not great. I found that I ended spending more time on the portfolio and hanging on to

finish the school stuff rather than fraternizing....Oh well, I guess that's what co-op will be for in

Chicago!

What's my worth?

My individual strengths as a designer? How about staying above water hahah. No seriously I

actually do have a few good skills that I might actually get paid for one day.

I could just tell you what I think my assets are but feel that it will be better to repeat some of the

things people have said to me over the last few years here at school / co-op that reflect my valuable traits.

-Good mechanical aptitude that can be applied to design solutions.

I've taken a ton of stuff apart and knowing how things come apart helps me understand how

they are manufactured. There is no mystery as to whats going on inside most products for me.

It helps when I'm making a design to have a feel as to whether or not it's complete bullshit or

not.

-Unique outlook and understanding of how people interact with products.

When I am thinking of a design solution I tap into my library of experience that I accumulated

prior to returning to school. I think about the things I have used in my life and try to remember

why I liked and or hated them.

-Good visual communication of designs, entice emotion in the viewers...."I want".

I have ADD to a decent degree so in my visual communications I try to keep the words to a

minimum. I'm antsy, tell me now with absolute clarity what you are saying...with pictures.

Blogitude!

Props again to my fellow mates and all the dedication I see here on the blogs. I'm finding that I still have fun here learning all about you and your design philosophies.

Emily T

http://tamasovich.blogspot.com/2010/02/pastry-chef-workstation.html

Allen G

http://allengreene.blogspot.com/2010/02/whats-makes-good-park-layout.html

Rachael S

http://stefanussen.blogspot.com/2010/02/above-is-first-sketch-page-for-my.html

Good design...jeez.

So? What is good design? Should I know? Do I know? Most days I feel as though I know just

enough to be dangerous as a designer lol.

So what is good design to me? Is it a product that saves lives in the Intensive Care unit? Is it the

new thingamabob that makes Target a million billion dollars? ...or is it that one thing I bought

ten years ago that still does it's intended function without crapping out on me? Huh, it's kinda

hard to define isn't it?

Good design.....well...if I have to pick three here they are.

1.) Velcro - better than tape because it works again and again.

2.) Coffee cup lid - keeps the coffee off my lap, allows me to open or close the spout, one

piece design. And they let me in the library with it :)

3.) Gas pump lever catch - being able to pump gas, check the oil, and do the

windows...excellent!

Call me practical but these are some good things folks.

Storyboarding

Storyboarding...visual communication that clarifies your ideas and products to your peers and clients in context to make understanding easier. A successful storyboard will do just that...tell a story. If you have to be there every time to "explain" the story...it's not working.

Following are examples of good storyboarding, the first a little refined, the second ..a rough initial pass.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://designcomics.org/BalletStoryboard.jpg&imgrefurl=

http://designcomics.org/examples.html&h=476&w=750&sz=146

&tbnid=AjpQLIuco1t70M:&tbnh=89&tbnw=141&prev=/images%

3Fq%3Dstoryboard%2Bdesign&usg=__tJS26GssLvHWMGvLjzO

gviEbFkQ=&ei=4LuSS5LJH5Gn8AbJ2aGoBQ&sa=X&oi=image_r

esult&resnum=1&ct=image&ved=0CAwQ9QEwAA

http://tars.rollins.edu/it/video/storyboard2.jpg

Fellow blogs

Some examples of fellow classmates and the individual personalities that come out in their blogs.

These blogs have a become a great way to get to know one another better!

Props to my peeps.

Magpie

http://bybellinger.blogspot.com/2010/03/biofeedback-gear-presentation-board.html

Jince

http://jince.tumblr.com/post/421025053/to-blog-or-not-to-blog

Yao

http://yindesign.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/chinese-teapot-modern-and-traditional/

Bring on the Illustrator Champions.

Since I bought my first car I've been a fan of auto repair manuals and their line work illustrations. After a few years noodling around the Adobe world I have an even greater appreciation for this art.

Recently I found a baller Illustrator artist named Beau daniels.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.automotive-illustrations.com/img/engines/saturn-engine-illustration.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.automotive-illustrations.com/engines.html&usg=__WuMgFf-vnzrUF9prZ9QtoukGBgk=&h=500&w=500&sz=29&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=lR__3_JTuhIjgM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dillustrator%2Brendering%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1C1GGLS_enUS359US359%26tbs%3Disch:1

Man this guy is good!

Yukio Miyamoto, this guys nuts too...

http://www.khulsey.com/masters_yukio_miyamoto.html

and.... if you have any more questions....

talk to The Illustrator Posse...Tom Spence and James Lee.

Kate Nash. Because. I'm the designer...I do what I want.

Some sketches I've put together in my free time.

I've been looking around

I've been looking around Coroflot for years now and one member always shows up again and again for some reason...Daniel Loves Objects. You know this guy if you've ever been on the 'flot.

http://www.coroflot.com/public/individual_details.asp?individual_id=169425&specialty=4&c=1&

I like to see what he's up to and will usually stop for a minute to check in on his page. I was wondering what it is about his work that attracts me. I don't LOVE his stuff all the time but I still return. I have looked again with a more analyzing eye and have noticed a few things repeating that may explain it.

Daniel uses effective imagery that quickly conveys what his products are and he uses dynamic images to keep it interesting. He uses a repeating feel or look in his pages that adds a level of cohesiveness to his work and relates it as a family.

His consistency in feel adds to a credibility in his work, almost a a branding in a way, not haphazard.

hahahaha....

Found this on Core77

Portfolio done.

OK portfolio is done...please check it out here...

http://www.uc.edu/propractice/ind_design/Clark_Jason_11.pdf

Utilizing a cleaner format with a 1/3, 2/3 grid with some slight

deviations to keep it interesting.

A couple of screen shots ...

Researching online, especially on Coroflot has helped in deciding

what style and layout matches my personality and is the most

effective . Learning about a grid ....man what a lifesaver!

Storytelling and the portfolio.

Storytelling....how it happens and how it can be a productive element in portfolio building.

I've discovered a pretty good page about this exactly. Putting a good story between the creator and the audience is the key to selling the product. Without engaging the audience...they just aren't going to give a damn. Why should they if they don't feel a connection to your great idea?

http://davidseah.com/blog/comments/storytelling-by-design/

In portfolio design in general words suck. No one really cares to read them. Face it. If we did we would be English majors. You have to employ clear effective images that narrate your product and entice the viewer into having a feeling about your product. Did I say clear? If the audience has to figure out whats happening...your message fails.

Does anyone remember the portfolio Jince showed us? You should...that guy knows how to tell a story!

Art Lebedev

Who do I like, who has a clear brand...?

Art Lebedev, that's who. I can always spot this studios stuff.

http://www.artlebedev.com/

How do they do it? They always have the coolest, cleanest products that make you ask, "Damn, why didn't I think of that?" There is always more to what they design than an initial view will reveal. They're not afraid to try something different, they really seem to do what they want...maybe this is because they do it for themselves? Humor, generally their products have an element of humor as well. Fun, not so serious, but not chintsy.

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/segmentus/

http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/punctirus/

Consistently cool. Always developing. Intriguing.