Re-inventing the Normal Day

Jocelyn K. Glei interviewed designer James Victore in a recent article on The 99 Percent.  Victore is a unique designer who looks at life and his career in a unique and somewhat relieving way.

Now beyond the fact that Victore likes to start his day at 4:30am, the rest of his day seems fairly relaxed for such a professional and successful individual.  His work has been featured in the MoMA and his clients include the likes of the Times.

His recent book, Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss? displays a large amount of his beautiful work throughout his career.  Victore created a promotional piece for the book in the format of a short film.   In the interview Victore describes how to come up with the concept for the film, his team went to a restaurant to eat and drink until they developed an idea.  This seems to be a typical day for him and his staff.

The most notable part of the interview was when Victore described how important it is to him to do the "thinking" part of a project outside of the studio.  The studio is for "work" and work alone.  It is his belief that no body should sit in a lab or in front of a computer thinking.  The brain works the best when it is functioning in real life.  That's what I took out of it the most and I plan on getting away from this computer right now, and start doing some great thinking elsewhere.

Dreaming up a New App

iPhone apps have been used for organization, gaming, capturing pictures, reading and in countless other ways.  It wasn't until I discovered the Dream:on app that I saw one used as an experiment.

The Dream:on app was developed by Professor Richard Wiseman and is very unique.  His goal is to discover if sound, while played during somebodies REM cycle of sleep can influence your dreams.  In a sense he wants to attempt to make it so that people dream their perfect dream every night.

The way it works is, you set an alarm, an alarm sound, and a "SoundScape".  The key to the experiment is the SoundScape, which is a compilation of certain noises whether it be the city or the countryside.  The user then places the phone on their bed and it registers their movement.  When the person is completely still, it is believed that means the person is in their REM cycle of sleep.  At this time, the phone plays the SoundScape for a period of time, and will then wake you and ask what your dream was.  If it in any way relates to the SoundScape over time, it may be proof that sound CAN influence your dreams.

I find it fascinating that Wiseman is using the iPhone app's to compose an experiment.  It relies on user honesty but I feel this market can be beneficial for numerous other experiments, reaching people that scientists would have a much more difficult time contacting.

I have used the Dream:on app for 4 nights now and have not dreamed of my "city SoundScape", however I am hopeful that it may work down the line.  And regardless, I now have documentation of the weird dreams I have every night.

It Doesn't Need to Burn, to Keep you Warm

Yes, wood burns and can keep you warm.  Now let's forget that and use the wood as a blanket.

Sounds idiotic, I know.  Elisa Strozyk thought otherwise and created a blanket out of wood, yes wood, as in a tree.

In the article A Blanket Made of Wood That Actually Works, Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan explains how humans are fascinated with faceted geometry.  I myself had to Google this to understand what she meant, but trust me it's true. If you'd like to know for yourself, trust Wiki.

The blanket Strozyk developed uses triangular pieces of smooth wood (no slivers would be nice) on a light piece of fabric.  The shape of the wood pieces allows it to bend and move just as a cloth blanket "wood" (ha, get it?).  It is an innovative design that throughly impressed me.  I would buy one in an instant.

I think it is interesting to see somebody reinvent something so simple as a blanket.  I also find it amazing that she seemed to defy the impossible, by making wood, which you assume as hard and immobile into something that can bend, flex and wrap around you.

Lets try this home stationary bike thing again

So I remember when I lived at home and my mother would buy "at-home" fitness equipment.  She would put the large, bulky, useless contraptions next to the television and it would sit there taking up space until it was inevitably moved to the garage.  It seems Lunar Europe may have finally changed that... maybe.

Lunar Europe, a design studio has reinvented the stationary bicycle.  Here it is....

Looks uncomfortable right?  Yea it probably is.

Beyond hte unadjustable handle bars and the plastic toothpick of a seat, this bike does offer some inovations that could possible sway people to use this at home and actually leave it in their living room.

First off it is beautiful looking, with a sleek design and a really cool suspended wheel (which does adjust for height differences).

Second, the best part which I didn't show you yet...

Notice the bike doesn't have any buttons?  Yea, Lunar didn't like those, so they implemented touch sensitive handle bars and lights that illuminate on the floor! Cool!!

The lights roll down from front to back like the bike is cutting through the middle and they change colors to display what part of your workout you are at.  Let's look closer...

I mean you can not deny, that is pretty cool.  I would enjoy testing that out, even if it made me nauseous after a while.

Another problem though, who has enough floor space in their living room for that light show? No body probably, well maybe people who can afford the bike.  But the use of the lights seem to cancel out the sleek design of the bike itself.

The UI lights are astounding though and I think Lunar may be on to something with them (even if it's not necessarily for this bike).

Nature vs. Construction... no more

Every structure that is built, whether it a house, office or school first involves mowing down a bunch of trees.

Everybody knows this, but hey what else can be done?

This...

Yes, that is a house built AROUND the tree's that were currently there.

I know what you're thinking... "Sure they saved some trees around the edges of the house, but they obviously mowed down the ones for the base of the house".

WRONG

OnDesign & Partners created a house wedged in between the natural structures of the Earth.  The narrow house consists of numerous levels so that the house expands vertically instead of horizontally. 

Now yes this severely limits the freedoms of consumers to build their dream house, but hey it's saving the Earth.

The design resembles Frank Loyd-Wright's ideals in architecture to build around nature instead of on top of nature.  More innovated houses like this should be developed in the future to not only help protect the Earth, but to challenge the architecture aesthetic. 

I mean look how cool the inside of this house is....

Apple had a touch screen laptop all along...

THIS IS INGENIOUS.

LIKE SO INGENIOUS IT'S SCARY.

How did Apple not promote this from day 1 with the iPad.

Brydge is a kickstart project that Apple should of invented a long time ago.  It is a stand for the iPad that turns your iPad into a sleek laptop.

Unlike other portable keyboards that can connect to the iPad, this stand holds your iPad upright, just like a laptop and has its own speakers to project your sound louder and clearer.

Due to the fact that the iPad is touch screen, it now creates a touch screen laptop with all functions of Apple's other laptops like the Macbook air.  It even ends up being the same size and weight as the Air.

It is so simple yet tremendously upgrades the iPad.  Made of aluminum, the keyboard surpasses any other keyboards which attempt to sync with the iPad.

Sorry Apple, Brydge beat you at your own game.

Brand Yourself

I have always been interested in how people start to become known through search engines like Google.  For example, I bought my first car from somebody named Nick Ayler.  At the time he was unknown and lived in Buffalo, NY.  As the years progressed, he pursued careers in acting, DJ and modeling.  If you searched his name when I bought my car, he would of never have shown up.  If you search is name now (go do it), you will be flooded with articles and pictures pertaining to him.

It's fascinating that somebody can rise up from all the useless content online and that links pertaining to them will show up immediately on search engines.  I have searched my name a few times and barely anything comes up beyond my Facebook profile.  That is, until I discovered BrandYourself.  I found out about this incredible website through an article on the Huffington Post.

BrandYourself allows you to manipulate what links come up when somebody searches your name.  You can link positive links about yourself to your profile to help them rise to the top of the search list.

BrandYourself also gives you tips on how these links can relate to you and help show positive links about you by "boosting" it.  It seems to be a powerful way to express yourself in a professional way and to control what content about you is in cyberspace.

I have created my own BrandYourself page and have followed one of their tips and included a link to it on this blog post.  this way the BUILDMEUP blog will now show up quicker when somebody searches my name.

CLICK ME!

Meditate... just do it

With so many people talking about or living by meditation, it must really be some powerful force.  I occasionally have attempted a meditation session where my boredom gets the best of me.  I think my longest attempt was 5 minutes.

Scott McDowell talks about the importance of meditating in his post on the99percent.  He, like me has attempted meditation and at first found no effects.  I feel the majority of people who dable in it, don't continue due to the lack of feedback that is given.

The more I think about it though, the more I realize that's kind of the whole point.  Meditation is supposed to be a release from all the feedback that we receive on a day-to-day basis.   Without even achieving the "bliss" as McDowell calls it, I can see what a strong impact meditation could have on the body if one sticks with it long enough.

After reading his article, I am determined to start a CONSISTENT meditation routine, regardless of any feedback I do or don't receive from it.

.... now if only I could get my feet to sit on top of my legs like that.

The evolution of GPS

So apparently people are still getting lost, regardless of GPS now being available on any internet device.  I know I turn on my GPS in my car when driving to a new place, even if I know I could probably find my way without it. I also use it often while walking in NYC to navigate with ease.

GPS is now being taken a step further by MIT Media Lab Research Assistant Jaewoo Chung.  Jaewoo has developed a GPS navigation system on cell phones called Guiding Light.  It is to be used primarily for walking indoors and navigating through buildings such as offices. The technology combines GPS similar to that of car navigation, video games and a flashlight.

Guiding Light projects an arrow using a light on your phone as you are walking.  The arrow changes based upon which direction you need to walk to reach your destination.

The prototype uses four sensors attached to the body that recognize what position you are standing and even what floor of a building you are on.

Once you reach your destination, if you cast the arrow onto the door of an office Guiding Light will display a pre-programmed picture of who's office it is, their name and any other information you wish to save about that person.

The future development of this technology can expand to extreme lengths.  It could be used not only to find an office, but to find an actual person based on the location of their cellular phone.  It could also be used outdoors while hiking or (as I would love), in a city.

The next step to life

Everybody goes through an interview or two at some point in their life.  But why does an interview still seem impossible to walk away from successfully?  It seems that every interviewer expects something different, and there is no way of knowing who will want what.

Scott McDowell talks about a way that will impress an interviewer every time in his article The Interview Prep Cheat Sheet. In his article, he describes that although a list of skills is great, it does not prove to a future employer that you can handle the job at hand.

McDowell describes that what an employer wants is CONFIDENCE IN YOU.  They want to know that you have previous experience that will make fully prepared for what you will need to do working for them.  The best way to do this is not to describe what you "would do" at the job, but what you have "already done" at previous jobs.

Describe to the interviewer experiences you have had in your life where you have overcome a problem that in at least some way relates to the type of problems you will face working for them.  Express to them your initiative and be confident in yourself.  If they see you have already done work that would help solve problems in their own company, then the employer will develop CONFIDENCE IN YOU.

You mean I can't just throw it all in a book?

Apparently a design portfolio has evolved into its own art form. 

I have spent a lot of time slaving away at attempting to put together a respectable graphic design portfolio. In the end my book looked like a child's "glue stick" arts and craft project.  After this failure I was introduced to creating a website which only ended up to look more boring than my book.

After reading A Knockout Portfolio, I have realized that developing a successful portfolio is not so cut and dry as well, arts and crafts.  Matias Corea describes how an online portfolio should tell a story about your work in a way that still represents you.  

He continues to explain that your website should be simple and not cluttered with information about the piece or about you.  His advice made me take a step back and realize I was trying to hard to follow a guideline and I need to just express my work by grouping it into one large online piece.  I look forward to getting creative with my portfolio and making an appealing online work. 
                                                    - Greg Borowiak

Time for a Freshpair - an interview with Freshpair Graphic Designer Brian Echeverri

"My best advice is choose a more stable career."

Brian Echeverri is a self-motivated, talented and savvy young man living in NYC.  Although he may see himself as somewhat introverted,  he is very kind and welcoming.  Brian was very open to helping out a current design student and was very easy to talk too.  Not to mention hilarious and witty.

Brian attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City for a major in Graphic Design. Graduating in 2008 he spent many years scouting a job suitable for a career.

While doing jobs on the side, Brian worked at MBPS BlackBook and SharpLeft Marketing.  At SharpLeft Brian was able to work in a variety of projects with companies such as Skyy Vodka, Nickelodeon, MTV and Disney.

His job at SharpLeft did not express his abilities in a way that he desired.  The structure at the company did not allow him to express his talents. The projects were strongly reviewed and reedited numerous times until it was just what his managers preferred.  Also, many of the projects such as designing t-shirts for adolescent girls did not interest Brian and caused him to look forward for work.

In 2011, Brian chose to leave SharpLeft and obtained a job with Freshpair.com.  Freshpair is a popular website that sells a wide variety of underwear and swimsuits for men and women.  Although the description may not sound the most appealing, it is a very well known company and is especially popular with gay men.

At Freshpair Brian designs advertisements for the company to be displayed as banners and ads on other websites.  This work allows Brian a bit more freedom than he previously had and it "pays the bills." 

Brian has created a wide variety of work which are featured in his online portfolio.  Brian describes his style as clean, modern and a bit funky.  Further down I will feature some of Brian's work that he has done throughout the years.

Working as a Graphic Designer has proven rather stressful for Brian.  Even with access to NYC for opportunities, landing a full-time job that is enjoyable and pays well has not been easy.  Although he enjoys being able to express his talents through design, often he wonders about going for a more stable career.  He finds it hard to believe that people live day-to-day doing just free-lance work.

Brian seems to have established himself enough to continue a successful career in the graphic design industry.  I personally look forward to seeing his future designs and progress as a designer.

Below is some of Brian's work featured in his portfolio

Design OFF the web - Part 2

So back to the admiration of the Graphic Design section of the Hofstra Library.

Book 2 of the series will be......

Designing Logos: The Process of Creating Symbols That Endure by Jack Gernsheimer

 Oh if only I found this book at the beginning of the semester.  Considering our entire project this year in New Design III was designing a logo.....

 This book is basically gold.  Jack Gernsheimer, who has been desiging logo's since the 1960's, goes into detail about everything he has learned along the way.  His book touches upon everything that has to do with designing a successful logo.  Lets put it this way, he starts at 35,000 BC and discusses how early cave drawings suggested signs of ownership and to identify by association.

One tip I will point out from his book is his 10 characteristics of a logo that endure.

1) Distinctive - a logo should have an appearance unlike that of other logos.

2) Sophistication - A logo should reflect a sense of good taste and sophistication. (Sophistication does not mean stuffy).

3) Conceptual - A logo should contain elements born of intelligent thought, it adds a positive dimension.

4) Relevant - When imagery relevant to the product, service, process, or entity is selected or developed, either photographically or illustratively, the logo relates more clearly to that which it represents.

5) Versatile - The logo should read well, no matter the size.

6) Cohesive - If you feel the need to draw a box, circle or other shape around the logo, chances are it's not cohesive. The symbol should not require an additional containment element to hold it together.

7) Attractive - Symmetry, composition, proportion and balance.  Appealing to the broadest range of people.

8) Memorable - A symbol simple in its construction but not necessarily in its concept.

9) Legible - The more readable the letters or words, the clearer the message.

10) Enduring - Stand the test of time.


Gernsheimer goes into numerous other aspects including the design process, presentation preparation, classic logos, typography and evolving designs.

There simply too much information to list here, so GO OUT AND GET IT.

Design OFF the web - Part 1

So I was recently browsing the Hofstra Library and found basically the best section ever.

Two full rows of Graphic Design books.

Who knew graphic design could be researched in physical books... unreal.

So I am going to dedicate my discoveries to a 4 part post (one on each book I checked out).

The first book I will discuss may be the most exciting. Graphic Design Since 1950. I'm pretty sure I didn't even realize it went back that far.  This 800 page encyclopedia of six decades of design is amazing.  Published by the Alliance Graphique International, they took their time and found some inspiring work that has influenced many work seen today.

Graphic Design Since 1950 by AGI

The book goes decade by decade, showing work designed in the era and explains the status and development of the industry at the time.  What is really cool is that it does not just focus on America, but of what went on around the Globe.

AGI has filled the book with work from everything from the Olympics to toothpaste ads, organized by designer.

Each decade has dozens of designers with biographies and selections of their work.  It is a great display of different designs from person to person, year to year and country to country.  I feel it is important to be aware of designers that have existed in the past and associate their name with their work.  They are in fact artists after all.

I highly recommend this book to improve your style and to be inspired by creative work desgined before you were born.