Rant of the Day: Where is the Pen tool??

As a second year design student, it was my year to learn the basic design programs used in the graphic design industry today. Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop were my main focus. Having spent many hours on a computer this year, I have definitely adjusted to these programs, understanding the basic functions and location of most tools. At the beginning of the year though, it was quite a different story...

Prior to this year, I did not have a whole lot of experience with the Adobe Creative Suite. I was exciting to learn much more about these programs, as I have a strong love for designing graphics on a beautiful Macintosh. Learning one program was challenging, but after some practice, I got used to the location of the tools in Illustrator - where the pen tool was located, what it looked liked - I had finally memorized these important aspects. Thinking it was a breeze from here, next we moved onto Photoshop. That's when I got confused. For the longest time, I kept clicking the wrong button for the pen tool, and kept using the same commands when working with this tool, but it would not work! For some reason, these design programs are set up differently, having the location of some tools in a completely different spot. The commands are also different when using these programs, and it makes it challenging for a new learner to learn fast.

In my early learning stages, I would become frustrated. Why would Adobe not set up these programs all the same? That would be so much easier to follow and to learn! Why can't the tools be in the same location for all programs? Why do the tools have to look different?  I do not understand what the reason is for making these programs all different. It just creates problems and confusion, especially for a beginner learner.

Although I have adjusted to these differences now, I am still curious as to what the benefit is of making these program different. I think it would make much more sense to keep everything consistent, as consistency is so key in design, yet our design programs do not mimic that.

"I never said you had to work hard, you just have to work smart."

For the past month I have been faced with the challenge of creating a completely new beer label, along with it's newly designed packaging and a poster ad. This beer was targeted towards upper class men, the beer having to be classy, and connote tradition. Right from the very beginning I struggled with deciding what direction to go with, as the design of a beer label could be almost anything! It could have an interesting meaning, more of a Canadian background type beer, or it could be something completely random, for example, if you like dragonflies, maybe calling your beer "dragonfly" with a neat dragonfly image/design could work. Anything that you as a designer think is really cool.

For a while, I was stuck between a more Canadian design, focusing on an Inukshuk for my label or a very unique idea, taking a black tie and using this for my beer label. I found this black tie idea was extremely different, as most labels are more round, and have banners with frill and lots of detail to make it look traditional - some looking more so like a badge. This design to me was much more exciting and much more different then what is usually seen on a beer bottle, and so after many days of going back and forth, I decided to go ahead with this unique black tie idea.

After much refinement, I decided to keep this concept very simple, giving the design a sense of elegance and class. When it was time to apply this design onto my beer package and beer poster, I came across another slight issue. My teacher recommended to me that I keep my design very simple throughout the whole process, and just apply a very similar design to my package and poster. Immediately I asked him if the teachers marking my design at the end of the year would give me a bad mark because they would think I didn't put any effort into it. With all of my designs being very much the same, applying my design onto the poster and package really wouldn't take too long at all. I felt like if I didn't spend hours and hours on a design, that I wouldn't get as good of a mark. I was afraid they would think that I wasn't trying hard enough.

Turns out, from the wise words of my teacher, "I never said you had to work hard, you just have to work smart." If a solution works, it doesn't matter how long it took you to come up with it. Consistency is so important when designing, it's what brings the design together, as well as helps keep a steady flow throughout the design. So no matter what your design may look like, when transferring it onto different applications, it actually shouldn't be as challenging as when coming up with the original design itself. Finally, I can get that silly idea out of my head.

beer bottle and package (colours on package will be adjusted to match beer poster colours)

beer poster

beer poster (matching set)

beer label

 beer label applied to bottle

 

Super Sexy CPR

In my recent excitement to receive the latest issue of the Applied Arts magazine, I couldn't help but open it immediately after it had been placed into my hands. Leafing through it, I found something quite interesting.

Super Sexy CPR & Super Sexy Abdominal Thrusts

Analyzing the videos, some people I talked to thought they were advertisements for CPR training, creating ads that would entice more people to learn CPR, making the videos sexy and appealing. Others thought they were advertisements for the lingerie, advertising it in an interesting and unique way. Which one was it produced for?

Check out the following images, and watch the videos for them below! Let me know what you think!

Super Sexy CPR

Super Sexy Abdominal Thrusts

It is Not About the World of Design, but the Design of the World

For one of my design projects, I was instructed to choose a famous designer and write a character study about them. I decided to choose someone that I had heard of, but didn't know much about, so that I could become further educated in the world of design over the duration of this assignment. I chose Bruce Mau, as he is extremely well-known in the field of design, yet I didn't know exactly what he had done to get where he is today. 

Turns out, Bruce Mau has done A LOT. Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario he decided after high school to move to Toronto to attend the Ontario College of Art and Design. Before graduation, Mau left to work at a Toronto design group, called Fifty Fingers. Shortly after, the opportunity arose to develop and design the Zone Book series, and in order to do this properly, Mau decided to start his own design studio. In 1985, Bruce Mau Design was founded.

What sets Bruce Mau apart from other designers is that most designers think of design as more visual, whereas Mau sees it on a much larger scale. Design to him, is all about improving the world.

"It is not about the world of design, but the design of the world." - Bruce Mau.

 This way of thinking is applied to his studio, and because of all of the creativity, Mau was inspired to write what he has called the "Incomplete Manifesto for Growth" in 1998. This manifesto is more or less a list of Mau's beliefs, strategies and motivations, referred to before approaching every design project at Bruce Mau Design.

(Check out the Incomplete Manifesto for Growth!)

Now with a studio in Toronto and Chicago, Bruce Mau is known as a world-leading innovator and design visionary. He has gained noteworthy clients along the way - Coca Cola, McDonalds, MTV, Frank Gehry, and Herman Miller - to name a few. He also developed and designed all the branding for Indigo, as well as created the environmental graphics and visual signature for the Walt Disney Concert Hall. On top of that, Bruce Mau Design was also responsible for the new logo and typographic design for the MoMA (museum of Modern Art) located in New York City.

Throughout his career, Mau has written and designed several books, Zone Book series being a major project at the beginning of his career, having around 100 books in the series. He has also been involved in the creation of S, M, L, XL an award-winning novel by dutch architect Rem Koolhaus in collaboration with Bruce Mau. Life Style is also an interesting one, as this book is actually about Bruce Mau's accomplishments and inspirations. 

Overall Bruce Mau has accomplished quite a bit. From what I have gathered, this famous Canadian designer is an extremely hard worker, is not afraid to stand out and take a chance, and has a very positive attitude and mind set. What really impresses me, is the fact that he is extraordinarily motivated to make a difference in the world. Bruce Mau is a complete inspiration.

Check out an intimate video interview with Bruce Mau.

A New Face For Kraft's Mac and Cheese

The well-known 73-year-old brand now has a new look. Kraft Foods and Landor Associates recently announced the new design of Kraft's Macaroni and Cheese packaging. While keeping the same key design elements that will remain recognizable to customers, they have added a "noodle smile" that acts as the visual identity on all Kraft Macaroni and Cheese products, as well as will be used in it's advertising.

Along with this "noodle smile" Kraft has also updated the brand's typography, colours, shapes, sounds and patterns. Using the "noodle smile" they have also unified sub-brands, as well as the brand communication style.

I have posted some images of the new design, so take a look at the new face for Kraft's Mac and Cheese!

To read the full article, visit http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2011/2/10/before-after-kraft-macaroni-cheese.html

And The List Goes On...

Inspiration can come from many different places. It can come from being exposed to a different environment, but it can also come from research, colleagues, fellow students, and websites that are on the tips of your fingers. The following is a list I wanted to provide of what currently inspires me as I slowly learn about the large world of graphic design.

Lovely Package
Kuler
Design Observer
Azure Magazine
Applied Arts
We Heart It
Mood
Wordboner
Makes You Smile
GRANDESIGN
yay!everyday
Oh So Beautiful Paper
LOOKBOOK
Think Design
Wear Palettes
The Dieline
TED

These links are ones I currently have bookmarked on my computer, but there are more I can think of that I am still wanting to check out! As my list grows, I will update it when necessary. There are so many different design magazines and artists that are out there as well, I look forward to discovering so much more about the design world. Enjoy!

The City of Inspiration

This past weekend I had the amazing opportunity to go to New York City with my Graphic Design program. It was my first time in this famous city, and I have to say I quite enjoyed it.

What I really loved about New York was how different it was compared to the culture and life I live here in Ontario. Getting the chance to be in a completely different surrounding gave me fresh inspiration and a new outlook on design. Seeing the amazing architecture around the city, as well as being exposed to so many different cultures, people, and even styles, really helped to renew my creative thinking process.

New York also gave me more motivation and determination to work hard on all the design projects given to me, as well as made me realize I shouldn't let the pressure of a deadline block my creativity. Instead I want to take the time to really dive deep into a project and pour my heart and soul into it. Seeing so much design, and so many different types of design is what encouraged as well as excited me to continue to work with diligence.

Some may call it the Big Apple, I call it the City of Inspiration.





To learn more about New York and what it has to offer, visit www.newyork.com

Intertwined Design

Looking through fashion websites and architecture magazines, I can't help but get inspired. Yet, I am a graphic designer. It amazes me how much all of the different areas of design can intertwine within each other. No matter what aspect of design you're pursuing, there are little bits and pieces you can take from all fields. Having more inputs and knowledge of other areas of design, can help you in your chosen career. It is so important to be aware of everything going on around you in the design world, whether it's your specific field or not. When trying to come up with an idea, looking through not only graphic design books, but also architecture magazines, and fashion images, can help immensely. There are elements in each field that each designer can use. When trying to think of a shape of a logo, look at some of the cool shapes of architecture. When trying to think of a colour palette for a poster, look at a colour palette on an outfit. Each aspect of design seems to work together, which is inspiring in itself. We can look to other areas of design for creativity, encouragement and stimulation, but, being the right brain people we are, that is just the beginning.

to check out more visit http://blog.wearpalettes.com/

Expanding Your Mind

My teacher's lecture today made me realize that being creative and getting ideas can be done in ways in which most of us Graphic Design students do not even think about. Brainstorming does not have to be a boring, challenging thing, instead it can be done in a more exciting, different way. Finding a different spot or atmosphere to brainstorm helps a lot. Being in a new environment refreshes your mind, giving your brain more potential to produce more ideas. Being in the same environment every single day can become redundant and with seeing the same things around you, can create a challenge when brainstorming. Your mind needs to be refreshed!

Surprisingly enough, another way to unblock your creativity, is to stop thinking so hard, let your mind take a break, and disconnect yourself from the project for a while. Do something else that you enjoy, whether it be meditation, exercising, reading a book, shopping, or seeing friends. Now, being in a very busy program, most students may find that this is quite hard to do, as won't taking a break from your work put you way behind? I automatically would say yes, I don't have time to take a break, I have way too much to do! But when you really start to think about it, taking a break, and once again refreshing your mind, can make you more productive when developing your ideas. When you are having a creative block, sitting at your desk for several hours trying to come up with an idea can be counter-productive. If you instead took a short break and got yourself out of your working environment, your brain can finally rest, giving it more energy to be able to produce better and more ideas once you've returned to that environment.

Thinking of different brainstorming techniques can also help quite a bit. Creating a mind map or mood board gets out the visual images related to your current project, rather than using just words. This gets you thinking more, generating a wider variety of ideas. Remember that when you do get that brain wave full of ideas, write them ALL down! Don't stop writing until all of those ideas up in your head, are on paper. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as a stupid idea. What you may think is a stupid idea, can be an absolutely brilliant idea to another person. Be confident in yourself and don't be afraid to take a risk. You'll never know until you try!



For more information on creativity and ideas, I highly recommend the book "How To Get Ideas" by Jack Foster. (the new expanded edition)

April Hangs above Me to the right

Growing up, most people assume that the way they think is the way everybody thinks. The way they picture things inside their head is the way everyone sees them. When you think of the months of the year, what do you see inside your head? What do you picture? What about the days of the week? The letters of the alphabet? Or the numbers 1 through 10? Whatever it is that you see, for most of you, I do not see the same thing. This is because I am a synesthete.

A synesthete has what is called synesthesia, which is an unusual condition that is only common in 1 in 20 people. It is more common among artists, and can run in families. A person with synesthesia might bite into an apple and feel the flavour of it on their fingertips, might see the letter H as sky blue, the number 3 as yellow, and Friday as forest green. The months of the year may be seen in an oval shape, each month a specific colour, some a different size. Some synesthetes might hear and taste their friend's voice as a deep magenta colour. The interesting thing about it all is that not two synesthetes see or hear or taste the exact same things, nor do they all have the same type or version of synesthesia. 

I personally do not feel the flavour of food on my fingers when I eat, nor do I taste a colour when a friend speaks. Instead, I see the months of the year in an oval shape in my head, each month a different colour, July and August being larger than the rest. This is the same with the days of the week, seeing this in an oval shape, each day a specific colour, Saturday and Sunday being larger than the other days. I see individual numbers in colour, for example I see the number 3 as a vulgar yellow, which I think is why I have never really liked the number 3, I've always thought it was ugly. Lastly I see each letter of the alphabet as a different colour. F is green, G is orange...each letter is a certain colour in my mind.

Surprisingly enough, most synesthetes are not even aware that they have this peculiar sensory gift. They assume that the way they think, is the way everybody thinks. The way they picture things inside their head is the way everyone sees them. So the question I now have for you is, what do you see?

resource: Wednesday Is Indigo Blue, Discovering the Brain of Synesthesia

                Richard E. Cytowic, M.D., and David M. Eagleman, Ph.D.