soleil j

Last week I watched an amazing news story on CNN (Paula Zahn) featuring Michael Fletcher, a severely wounded soldier who survived after being run over by a tank. His face was completely destroyed and he had no nose. With the research and work of scientists, doctors, surgeons, medical researchers, illustrators and graphic designers, they were able to reconstruct his face first on the computer digitally using ground breaking technology and able to create a new nose completely out of human tissue. This was truly an amazing story to watch and the fact that graphic designers were able to help save his life and reconstruct his body is extremely powerful.

When I think of media arts I often think of millions of images coming together and rapidly forming into one giant collage of information, images, and ideas. This picture features a collaged box I made a while ago and just recently rediscovered. The silhouette of a man is framed by hundreds of TVs and computers in the background making up a huge canvas of images all with different stories and voices airing at the same time. It is an image that sticks with me and reminds me of the power of the media and the growing importance of technology and smart design.

What is free pizza?
Free pizza is the free benefit or prize that allows one to have an increased pleasure in an experience or from a product. As defined by Seth Godin, it is the decoder ring inside the package you bought. It’s the smells inside a bakery, an unexpected gift bag at a business meeting, the experience of opening a Pom Tea and keeping the glass, the joy and beauty of creative and innovative packaging that you want to keep and use for other purposes after the product inside is gone. It is the extra toy in a children’s meal, the added ambiance of a restaurant, waiting free fortune cookies, an free glass when you buy a bottle of liquor, a sample of tea outside a café, the experience of waiting in anticipation for an event, and the smile and extra politeness of a flight attendant. It is the incentive and human quality of a product, service or experience that entices one and leaves a lasting and positive effect on the consumer. It is the unexpected but beautiful prize that enhances the physical and psychological everyday routine and inspires one to come back and enjoy something again.

Why is it important to be a purple cow?
Remarkable is necessary to marketing today because unremarkable products don’t get talked about or recognized but fade away. Trying hard is not necessarily the way to achieve success. What makes one remarkable is being amazing, outstanding, surprising, elegant, and completely out of the ordinary. It can be as simple as an elegant soap bottle or decorative trash can to a giant lava lamp in the center of a city. I think of Chicago a lot when I think of purple cows. First of all, there are actually artistic and decorated designer cow statues throughout the city but also some less obvious urban art forms. For example, I remember being hot and exhausted after attending the Taste of Chicago last summer and wandering into a park where the side of a building turned into a lighted movie featuring children smiling and spitting out water that crowds of people were running through and playing. This was a great way to both surprise the public and create interaction with others that you would not normally do. Weird is often the coolest cool.
What are 5 major differences between print and interactive?
1- Print is tangible. It can be framed, transported, hung on a wall, put in a shelf, read in any location and saved forever just as it was printed.
2- Interactive is dynamic, can change rapidly and is often controlled by the user such as lucid dreaming. It can communicate massive amounts of information while bringing the user into new worlds that often cannot be experienced in real life.
3- Print media has a definitive endpoint and strives to express a point or idea to the viewer or reader that stops after visually observing a piece of artwork or reading. Because of a lack of viewer attention, most print has to effectively grab the reader within the first few seconds and entice them to discuss or absorb something from the work.
4- Interactive is where we are moving. People are getting bored with print and craving more interaction both with others and technology. Most websites are no longer one flat page but a series of links and buttons that engage the user and allow the individual to control their own experience.
5- While print design is 2-dimentional and consists of a concrete area or space, with much attention to detail and layout, web design is multi-dimensional and often abstract, requiring the user to take action.

List 5 – 10 videos you feel students next quarter should watch.
1) John stossel 20/20 – graphic design
http://youtube.com/watch?v=1RqdZCo6vkI

2) Talks Stefan Sagmeister: Yes, design can make you happy
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/50

3) GD all about gambling and free speech (the rules of graphic design in 43 seconds)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5igTIBSnV7c&mode=related&search=

4) The Graphic Avenger – Trust Your Graphic Designer
http://youtube.com/watch?v=5igTIBSnV7c&mode=related&search=

5) When Graphic Artists Get Bored
http://youtube.com/watch?v=hYMRepK_aqw&mode=related&search=
This is awesome!! It is designers changing nature photographs into powerful images such as a frog made out of an orange peel, a swimmer coming out of a road, and a tiger turning into a butterfly. Truly beautiful and inspiring work.

6) Paint like music by Brian Eno
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ0X06w742I

7)Brain Eno – Music For Airports
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jSWwtqr6IQ&mode=related&search=
Seth Godin: Sliced bread and other marketing delights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIVlM435Zg

9) Talks Rives: “If I controlled the Internet” (a poem)
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/26
Hilarious. Rives talks about how the internet would be if he owned it. Some ideas include auctioning broken hearts on e-bay and map-questing lover’s mood swings.

10) Talks David Pogue: When it comes to tech, simplicity sells
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/7

11)
Talks Golan Levin: The truly soft side of software
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/14

From your blog and other student blogs list 5 articles you feel should be passed onto next quarter students. Describe why each is important.

1) “Living in a Virtual World” – The Week Magazine.
This article examines the latest computer games and alternative realities in electronic fantasy lands (such as Second Life, My Space, and World of Warcraft).
2) “Bright Lights in the Blogosphere” – Creative Loafing. Talks about five local bloggers who have made impacting blog sites and the trend of people in white collar jobs giving up their work to be full-time bloggers.
3) The Design 100- Time Magazine Summer 2007. The entire magazine is an awesome insight into the people and ideas behind today’s most influential design. Very inspiring and very important things for all designers and non-designers to know about the power of design and who the players are.
4) “Haley Johnson” -Creative Arts. A great article about the designer of Total Bitch, Bad Ass, Boss Lady, Buttons to Push Buttons, and Dirty Girl. She has succeeded without ever having a website or substantial marketing.
5) Style and Design Issue of Time Magazine, Spring 2007. What’s next in fashion, media arts, and product design.

What would be some ideas for theme weeks for the next quarter photo stream.
-Cool hangouts in Atlanta
-Interest people / portraits
-More purple cows
-Experiences and events in and out of the city
-Relaxation and activities that are non-school related
-Day to day objects of beauty and inspiration that are often overlooked or ignored
-Favorite things
-Unique design and journaling ideas / art therapy

What are two projects would you suggest for next quarter?

1) More research on media arts and what exactly interactive media and the purpose of web design is. Maybe making as collage or online forum for discussion and masking sense out of this complex subject both visually and verbally.
2) Actually learning some more basic code and developing a basic website. I was craving more knowledge and insight into this area that is often difficult to delve into without having some interaction and knowledge from others.

Name: Jamie Jones
Blog: http://jljones.wordpress.com/
Flickr: soleiljlj

List 10 Quotes from the reading you found impactful and explain why.
1) “The products and services that get talked about are the ones worth talking about.” –Seth Godin

I liked this quote because it highlights the fact that criticism and controversy is often a very positive thing. By doing the wild, the crazy, the most bizarre thing possible, ideas can gain recognition and open people up to different worlds—worlds which they do not yet know or believe in but cannot live without.

2) “ People don’t believe what you tell them. They rarely believe what you show them. They often believe what their friends tell them. They always believe what they tell themselves.” –Seth Godin

I both agree and disagree with this quote. I feel that Seth Godin often assumes that the majority of people either don’t care about anyone else or anything new or are “stupid.” I like to think that there are two main kinds of people: those who are looking for deeper meaning in life and new inspirations and innovation, and those who are just getting by and content with leaving the big questions and dilemmas in life to someone else. I think as lot of times we are blinded by being wrapped up in our own individual little worlds. As for designers creating for the consumer, communicating an idea or fact, and self-expression can often become a tangled task that requires the designer to take risks. Building and creating for the direct needs of the consumer is not always the best route to take.

3) “Letting your customers set your standards is a dangerous game, because the race to the bottom is pretty easy to win. Setting your own standards–and living up to them–is a better way to profit. Not to mention a better way to make your day worth all the effort you put into it.” –Seth Godin

4) “The ability to change fast is the single best asset for any person or organization.” –Seth Godin

Godin explains that hugely recognized and established American companies such as Ford, Apple, McDonalds and Coca Cola will never change their logo or completely re-brand. At the same time there is a constant need to update and fit into the current technological advancements. He uses the example of some computer companies who refused to adopt to new technology developments and in turn, suffered greatly. Although companies don’t need to complete transform to fit the current trends and technological developments, staying on top and having the skills to transition quickly are extremely important.

5) “Do less. Big doesn’t equal successful. We’re starting to see that fewer women are willing.” –Seth Goddin

I really like the idea of companies slowing down a bit and focusing on a few projects and creating powerful, polished work rather than running around stressed and doing 100 projects at a time. Clearly, the U.S. has a major issue with overworking ourselves and over stressing. Studies show that we have the highest level of stress and ever Why does work have to be so difficult and anxiety driven? Especially in design, where concepting is of huge importance, I think designers need to chill out and enjoy life a little more, drawing ideas and concepts from living life and experiencing events and activities with others. Less is more. Working hard for a short period of time is better than working hard for hours and hours and accomplishing less.

6) “Media Arts is a cross discipline area of study, focusing on methods of communication and expressions of the human condition though the use of traditional and converging mediums” –Mason Poe

I think this is a good definition for media arts but I am still a bit confused as to how exactly “Media Arts” or “Media Architecture” is defined. After researching the terms I found one definition stating, “new media art is a genre that encompasses artworks created with new media technologies, including computer graphics, computer animation, the Internet, interactive technologies, robotics, and biotechnologies. The term differentiates itself by its resulting cultural objects, which can be seen in opposition to those deriving from old media arts (i.e. traditional painting, sculpture, etc.) New Media concerns are often derived from the telecommunications, mass media and digital modes of delivery the artworks involve, with practices ranging from conceptual to virtual art, performance to installation.” I still can’t get over how quickly new technology develops. Within the last few years I have seen an unbelievable change in website design to interactive media and advertising. I think of the BMW and Mercedes websites, the Milk website, Tea Partay (Smirnoff Vodka). The move to interactive, fun and playful forms of advertising and media is both exciting and terrifying. Sometimes I worry about keeping up with the rapid developments and trends that seem to be popping up every day. It is really an exhilarating time to be working in the field of media arts as well as being present in the interactive world of the internet.

7) Secrets to Success in Design:
-Passion- do it for the love of the work not money
-Work hard (Rupert Murdoch)
-Focus, practice
-Push yourself, push through shyness and lack of confidence
-Not always easy to push yourself—that’s why they invented mothers
-Serve others
-Ideas- trying them
-Persistance- criticism, rejection, assholes, pressure

Richard St. John mentioned this in a brief speech to students about why people succeed. He starts by stating that people don’t succeed because they are smart or lucky. He interviewed over 500 successful people and distilled what they told him into eight simple principles that I think capture the truth pretty well. In any field and especially design fields, you have to become thick-skinned and take risks. I had an acting director in highchool that used to force me to do absurd improptu speeches and comedy skits when my area of performance was more drama-based. He told me that to be a great actor or successful person you have to be willing to make a complete fool out of yourself and tell others to f@#% off when them criticize or tell you your ideas aren’t worth the effort. This is one of my favorite pieces of advice and something I continue to work on. Letting go can be hard, especially when people are so worried about reputation and professionalism. I think the field of design is especially fortunate to have more room for “weird people” and being silly. Bad ideas often lead to the best ideas and getting ideas out is key.

“Graphic design is the paradise of individuality, eccentricity, heresy, abnormality, hobbies and humors.” ~George Santayana

Being weird is a lot cooler than people think. Some of the weirdest and controversial individuals in history are my greatest heros. However it is still important to relate and communicate to an audience on a realistic and understandable level. For example, there a lot of really cool, avante garde media arts projects and products that I and other designers find interesting but to the general public these works can often seem bizarre, intangible, and void of meaning or purpose. Sometimes looking cool or beautiful is not enough. There is a lot to be said for the development of in-depth, yet clear and simple concepts that appeal to others.

9) “Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates to invention. It shocks us out of sheepl-ike passivity, and sets us at noting and contriving.” ~John Dewey

This quote reminds me the importance of breaking free and really pushing oneself to exist outside the box and move past shyness and other fears. It also reminds me of another quote about comfort being a bad place to be. I think there should be some aspect of calm and comfort in a designer’s world but also a certain level of anxiety and openness to an ever-changing world.

10) “Great ideas spark great ideas. Real creativity is simple and magical at the same time. I study and read about art. I look at other fields.” –Wade Thompson

This quote really inspired me to explore other worlds and research anything and everything to produce effective design. So often we get stuck or lost in our own worlds and lives or focus so much on “good design” or what an artist is that we forget the importance of understanding others and the world around us and how to use knowledge from other fields to convey a message or idea to others. The power of design holds far greater value than most would like to admit.

GD all about gambling and free speech
I found this 20/20 video listing the three most common mistakes of designers in 43 seconds. They include:
1) Never use comic sans
2) If your name is Peretz Rossanbaum change it to Paul Rand and the networks will pay you a lot more money.
3) If you don’t know who Paul Rand is, well, basically, you’re screwed.

Paul Rand, Communication Arts

I recently came across a TED video about happiness featuring Eve Ensler,the driving force behind The Vagina Monologues, The Good Body, and V-Day, an international effort to end violence toward women. I have always been a bit anxious about the whole idea of talking about private body parts but in her TED talk, she truly enlightens others on the simple compasssion and truths that open the door to happiness not only for ourselves but for others. She shared stories from more than 200 interviews with women and talks about how sharing their painful stories, through the monologue and special events, helped her to reconnect with her body, her soul and the world, and find a deep happiness.

“When we give in the world what we want the most,” Ensler says, “we heal the broken part inside each of us. Happiness exists in action, in telling the truth, in saying what it is. Giving away what you want the most.”

Although her subject of study is recognized as a taboo topic in our world, Ensler has shined a light on the reality of abuse and violence towards women throughout the world. She did not take the tragic information she gained from her talks with women and become depressed. She took their stories and unleasshed a new energy and a passion for helping others, for preventing other women from feeling the pain that she and other women have felt. Through helping others, she healed herself. This is truly an amazing way of looking at life. So often we are so consumed by our own individual needs and activities that we completely close up to the rest of the world. By listening to the voices of others and experiencing life through different lenses, we can not only increase our own happiness but that of everyone in this world.

One idea is to have somewhat of a handmade, chaotic studio feel to it with charcoal, paint or collage incorporated in some aspect. A background with splattered paint or an unfinished piece of work or painting might be interesting, where you could click on the color-coded paint marks to enter different areas. I would like to have separate sections for maybe cool websites, interesting books and designers, blogs, daily inspirations, and emotionally inspired artwork or quotes.

Another idea is to stick with something more clean and basic with a black background and clean photographic images that each represent a separate area the user can enter by clicking the image. I really like the idea of having natural images or textile patterns that emotively illustrate the specific area of concentration.

Flipping through magazines the other day, I realized that “wild” has succeeded as a huge, consistent trend in advertising that shows no signs of extinction in the near future. Combining the wild ferociousness of exotic animals with utilitarian and fashion accessories has become a successful strategy for seducing consumers into thinking that they are wild, rebellious, stealthy, powerful, exotic or sexy by linking products to wild “safari” cats such lions, leopards, jaguars, tigers or cheetahs as well as other dangerous animals. While it is fun and makes the consumer feel like they have an untamed, primal and exotic sense of style it can sometimes be a bit absurd and even comical.

For example, what does makeup have to do with baby tigers (as in the Max Factor Ad above)? What does Kahula have to do with White Tigers? Why do Jimmy Choo ads feature women as fierce cats preying upon men to get high fashion bags? Why does Britney Spears need to hold a giant python draped around her body while performing on stage? Why do women go crazy over leopard print bags? Why does Roberto Cavalli have a cafe in Florence where tourists and models indulge in animal print packaged boxes of chocolates? Why does Pottery Barn suddenly take a change of style from their typical clean look to include animal print accents?

American consumers eat it up. We want an escape. We want to feel exotic and different, to live life outside the cubicle. We want to be stylish yet in touch with the primal nature of ferocious animals. Animal prints are marketed as having a sense of power, strength, uniqueness, seductiveness, foreign and unknow beauty. We want to be at the top of the food chain and having something that says “I’m wild” is cool and edgy. If I add a little leopard to my wardrobe or abode I might just be tempted to get a little crazy. Maybe I’ll embark on an African Safari. Maybe I’ll try some new extreme activity I never knew existed. Maybe men will be more attracted to my new “exotiqueness.” Maybe I’ll start hunting high fashion bags like a lion stalking a zebra. Maybe I’ll suddenly become inclined to buy a White Tiger to drink Kahula with. Who knows?