Work Featured...In a magazine?

So I got contacted through coroflot from some guy claiming to be a reporter for Beijing Newlore Magazine, a design, IT, tech magazine. He saw my Compaq computer here. And they had found it through Ecofriend. This reporter, Rodean, wants high res versions of the renders so they can be printed in the magazine. This is really exciting but it is a little strange and the website he gave for the magazine, www.newlore.cn does not work. Maybe it is just down now. If the website worked I might be less hesitant about it. it probably couldn't hurt to send them.

Need some advice here, If anyone sees a potential problem with sending high res versions of my renders out to some random person, let me know.

So thats how I found out these blogs were covering it...exciting. Then I realized that those were not my original renders. My renders are not so gray and my coroflot page, where they came from has text on each image. So someone spent some time in photoshop getting rid of all that, and they did a good job too.

If anyone has thoughts or advice on this let me know.

Kind of wish we had to do blog posts as assignments

I have not done this for awhile. School has been really busy, so I have not had any opportunity to do this; and Des Comm is purely focused on sketching and rendering, not so much the communication aspect of it.
I am looking for a job right now, things are a little bleak on that front but here is my portfolio.
Everyone in my class has seen it, but for the few who read this blog and have not seen it feel free to give feedback. Thanks.

Portfolio

Enjoy.

I will give some updates on my chair later.

Had to Share a Few of These

More over at The Big Picture

Inspire #3 "Bad" Art

I only say bad because it was in MOBA (the Museum of Bad Art) in Boston and the picture is a bit blurry, but whatever, I liked it.

Inspire #2 Festivals

What is more inspiring then gigantic, multiple day parties full of sensory stimulation. More photos over at The Big Picture.

Inspire #1 Inner Courtyard at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Visited this in Boston, I was not allowed to take photos, and these photos just don't do it justice. One of the most amazing interior or courtyard I have ever seen. I could easily spend all day there. Also lots of amazing art there, but to me that was just secondary to the courtyard. It is a must see if you are in Boston.

Vacation-Part of the Job; and an introduction to a new part of my blog

I traveled to Boston this past weekend (Valentines Day) to visit the girlfriend. Had an amazing time; I was there less than 4 days but it seems like a really fun and exciting place. One of my favorite parts of design, or any creative discipline for that matter, is that almost any experience can add to our creativity or have some sort of influence for our work. Going on a trip or vacation, experiencing new places, people, culture, art, music, or any thing really can influence and inspire us. A part of our design education that will continue forever, I think it is extremely important to nourish. Experience, in a broad sense, is a part of our job.

This brings me to a new part of my blog I want to start. It will be things that I think are in some way inspiring or exciting to me. For the most part I will provide little commentary or none at all; I want them to speak for themselves. It could be anything from photography, traditional art, an object, a place, or anything else. The only limit I want to put on this is that it will not be directly design related. One of the main reasons I blog is to become better at expressing my thoughts on design related things. So when those come up, I will talk about them more in depth; they will not be in this section. I want this new "inspire" section to be more of an image based part of my blog, similar to notcot.org and Black Bunneh Sees. Since I was just in Boston, the first few will be from there. They will start with the next post.
-enjoy

Personality

I ramble a bit in this post, so just bear with me.

Getting a real start on my portfolio, I have been doing the planning and little things leading up to actually working on my portfolio for awhile now. One thing I have heard many times about portfolios and and on criticism of my own is that they need to have personality (or more personality) in them. You can take a look at mine here so you know what I am talking about.

Graphically, and for the most part work the quality and the content I am happy with. (There are obvious things that will get redone, sketching, taking out some projects getting new ones in, but that is not what I want to talk about) I realized that even though I present "process" and my thinking, I have it presented more like a report of what has been designed than something that expresses who I am as a designer and what and how I designed it. I don't even think I use the word "I" in the entire thing. The basic progression is research, sketches, final design. This is not bad but I feel it is slightly generic and I need to show how I truly arrived at the forms and the ideas; an important aspect of how I design and how I think (something that could help get me hired) is missing. I obviously cannot show every aspect of my design process, but I feel that I have so far not done any of my projects justice in that respect.

I did not just make this decision from critiques of my portfolio and general portfolio advice; I was looking at design firms websites and tried to figure out some things they do that I don't. The most obvious thing was that they had their personality in their presentation. Their case studies were not reports; they were stories.

Examples:
M3 Design-The first thing that comes up "Who we are", "What we do", "How we think"
Priority Designs- "What makes us different", "Our designs", "Our work", "Our clients"
IDEO- "We are a global design consultancy. We create impact through design."

Now I know just adding "I" or "we" does not make it more personal, but it is a start and it is something to work off of. I read a really helpful article on design writing on Core77. I will just say it gave some great advice that pertains to what I am trying to do with my portfolio. I will not review it, I have said plenty on this post already. Read the article here.

I will post some updates on my progress. What I am trying to do is like anything else, it can be overdone, underdone, or just not done correctly. That being said I will be relying heavily on feedback (from all of you if anyone reads this) once it gets going.

Final Portfolio Goal: When people look at my portfolio I want them to have a solid understand of my thinking and how I design, not just what I have designed.

Late Start

I have been meaning to keep this blog going and so far, considering this is my first post since school has been out I am not doing very well. Better late than never I guess. I think I will be able to keep up the momentum once I get this going. I have made some goals for my blog and myself that I will share at a later post, for now let's get to this post.
I am interning at Priority Designs in Columbus; I am really enjoying it so far. I was looking through some of the pictures from CES (Consumer Electronics Show) that a few of my coworkers had gone to. The one thing that really stood out to me in terms of form was the Asus Airo laptop concept. When the laptop opens it slides the keyboard back into a more ergonomic position while also allowing room for extra ventilation so there are actually no fans. Just a concept now but I was fairly impressed. I really like the origami form language that Asus has going on now. It is a good mix of a familiar and traditional concept with new technology.

Read more about it and see more pictures of it over at Engadget.

Evaluating Des Comm

I was very pleased with the way Des Com worked this quarter.

A few specific things I liked:
1. Having "TA's" This made a big difference since we were such a big class. We always had someone to talk to each class
2. Teaching new methods instead of new skills. We learned several different ways to go about projects. We can always learn how to be better at certain skills, or learn new skills; learning different methods is also very important so we can start to create our own unique work flow.
3. The class had due dates and quantities of what was due, but some things were more guidelines. I am not entirely sure if that makes sense but I felt that having less restrictions on the projects made them more fun and made me try harder.

The only complaint I really had was the timing of the tea project with all of our studio work, there was quite a bit going on there and it got a little overwhelming.

Evaluating My Work

I felt like this was probably my best quarter so far. I made a big effort this quarter to break out of my own mold, at least in terms of my design process and style. I started out only doing this in Des Comm, I figured that that would be the class to do it in since if I have a bad project it was only 2 or 3 weeks wasted (probably not wasted, I would probably learn things). It might have happened on accident, but about half way through the quarter, I started to do it in my studio as well, and I changed gears on my project, and it is probably my most successful yet.
Next school quarter, I would like to continue pushing the limits (my limits) in my designs. I want to take advantage of the fact that I can do things that are a little more "out there", while I am still in school. Over my internship, I hope to take advantage of the situation and learn as much as possible. Since I will be living at home, I am planning to get a lot of personal things done that are hard to do when I am in school.
I also plan to continue blogging, I have enjoyed it and think that it is good practice to write and discuss design. I am expecting very few people to read it but it should be fun anyway.

Wasting Time

I have not been able to stop watching this, and neither will you if you have a heart.
Click

Sorry, My Posts Were Getting Wordy

My posts have been getting extremely wordy. I do not feel like most people, especially designers, would read them. Designers tend to be visual people and would probably not read a post unless and image first got their attention.

So a blog can be a great tool for communicating design and who you are. It could almost act as a pre-interview. People can see your portfolio to see your skills and then they can see your blog to find out a little more about you and if they would want to work with you. So at the same time, if it is not done correctly, people will not read it and not know what you are interested in. This is not at all about Obama, I just figured it would get people to read through the post to see what I had to say about him.

Picture from The Big Picture, has some amazing and large news photographs.

Reviewing Goals

In my first post I mentioned a few goals I had for myself this quarter. I did not exactly get to them as I had planned. One of the goals I did not do so well on (exploring Cincinnati), and the other (honing my skills as a designer) I did but not as I had expected.

I am always working on all of my skills, but a little ways in to this quarter I decided to use my Design Communications class to experiment. I have mentioned it before; t is hard to experiment in your actual studio where not having a good project means an entire quarter of work with no portfolio piece and a bad grade. In Des Comm, however, a bad concept will not necessarily result in a bad grade, and 2 weeks of work with no portfolio piece in the end is much easier for me to justify. This quarter I went ahead with a project and concept that I typically would not have gone forward with because I would have considered it too risky. And I also tried to change it up graphically. Normally I stick to blue, white, and gray in presentations; this time I even used pink in a presentation, I never do that. I feel that I slightly but successfully broke out of my own mold in a few areas this quarter. I definitely consider that a success. for this quarter.

In my goal of exploring more of Cincinnati, I was relatively unsuccessful (the little getting around that I did, however, was great). When I had free time I just wanted to relax alone or chill with friends. There was an unexpected event for next quarter; I got a job at Priority Designs, which I am really excited about, in Columbus, my home town. This is great for a few different reasons. I will not feel any need to get around and see the sights of Columbus, I did that for 18 years when I grew up there. My plan is to focus on things that I tend to not have time for when I am away on internships or at school. (personal design projects, art, playing guitar, reading, biking, skiing, exercise, its a really big list in my head)

Overall, even though it is not done, I consider this a successful and enjoyable quarter, and hopefully my internship will be as successful and enjoyable as my last.

Strengths and Weaknesses

My strengths as a designer, I have spent plenty of pre-interview time thinking about answers to this and other such questions, but so far these standard interview questions have not come about. Even though they have not come up, it is important to be aware of your abilities, the strengths and the weaknesses. The strengths are important because you need to know what to focus on; the weaknesses are probably more important because obviously they are going to offer more room for improvement. Unless you are the type of designer that falls into the overly pretentious category, there is always room for improvement. Improvement, while obviously being important professionally, can also be personally satisfying. Everyone loves the feeling when you realize one day that you are definitely better than you previously had been, you have hopped up from that old plateau and are now starting on a new one.

It did not take me too long to come up with my own strengths and weaknesses. Being a student, our work is constantly being judged by teachers, our peers, and ourselves; I have already spent plenty of time thinking about these things.

My Strengths

1. Keeping the User In Mind

I feel that I am good at keeping the users needs at the forefront of my design and decision making processes. I always try to keep in mind who I am designing for, with everything from usability to emotional connection.

2. Not Being Stubborn

It is easy to get caught up in an initial idea or concept and to just go with it. This is fine as long as other options do not get blocked of; they still need to be left open. It is important to be open to new ideas throughout the entire design process. I try to do this by being open to suggestions from teachers and peers (ID as well as in other majors). I will occasionally step back from what I am doing and explore a different route. I will treat it as an exercise and not be upset when nothing new comes from it. Even if nothing comes from it, stepping back works as a good exercise and an enjoyable mental break.

3. I Have Fun

This is really important. I cannot afford to and do not want to get burnt out. Projects need to be fun. I do this by trying new things, enjoying the new learning experiences and everything else that comes with the projects. I love what I am doing in my life now and have a great passion for design. That being said, it is not the only thing in my life. I think it is important to experience many things and keep many different activities and hobbies going.

My Weaknesses

1. Sketching Ability

I have recently made some big improvements here but there is still quite a ways to go

2. Risk Taking

It can be hard to take a big risk on a project. The risk of failure is high, which would mean no portfolio piece and a bad grade, hard to convince myself that is is worth it. The result, however, could really be something great.

3. Keeping Contact

I have not done the best job in keeping contact with people I have met and worked with on my previous internships. It is not only good for networking purposes but socially I met some great people I want to stay in touch with.

Useful Boundaries

Dieter Rams' 10 Principles for good design
Good design is innovative.
Good design makes a product useful.
Good design is aesthetic.
Good design helps us to understand a product.
Good design is unobtrusive.
Good design is honest.
Good design is durable.
Good design is consequent to the last detail.
Good design is concerned with the environment.
Good design is as little design as possible.

Dieter Rams was a product designer for Braun in the 50s and 60s. Plenty of Apple designs and forms have been directly influenced by Braun products designed by Rams. (Interesting comparison here) This is not so much about a design process but about guidelines. Typically a design brief or problem statement is used as the basic groundwork of restrictions for coming up with a design. Restrictions may sound like a bad thing, but in the context of problem solving and creativity, they provide the framework that concentrates, focuses, and allows the creativity to flourish into a well refined solution.

A basic set of principles that are always in the back of the mind can be a valuable tool when designing. Having this list of principles or personal guidelines that apply to all your work can not only be helpful, but can act as your own quality control. These restrictions keep the thought process focused so the creativity can also stay focused on what is important, the problem and the solution.

As someone matures as a designer, they will probably have their own list, either written or just in their mind. It will probably be evolved from a mix from others and things that have come from experiences. Either way, having a "list" in addition to the problem or brief will only benefit in the process and consequently in the end result.

Nike Football

I have watched this so many times. It's the new Nike Football commercial, "Fate" by David Fincher. It chronicles the lives of LaDainian Tomlinson and Troy Polamalu. Great music and amazing vizuals. I just wish I had time to exercise.

Illustration and Storyboards

Stephan Martiniere is probably my favorite concept artist. He has been involved in many movies and video games. His work is very varied, with everything from quick sketch fine art fully rendered digital paintings. They are all extremely visually descriptive and tell their own story.

Another artist who tells convincing stories through sketching and art is Jim Mickle, a storyboard artist.
Jim Micke does a great job getting an idea across using just quick sketches and occasionally descriptions. He uses the main image of a scene to describe what is going on.

The ability to tell stories is an important part of a designers skillset. It is practically everything we do. We tell the story of a product; we tell the story of a problem someone is having with a product; we tell the story how a product or system causes a problem; we tell the story of how a problem can be solved.

Quick Visualization

I just finished up some exercises in quick visualizations of some USB thumb drives. The exercise was not just about an overall design but about working on details and some new rendering and guess...visualization techniques.
USB drives were used because there is not much to design other than details; the shape and size is basically fixed. With the quick schedule of school, this part normally gets overlooked. I traditionally go from a nice sketch to 3D really quickly (not always the best approach).
I choose the company Konzuk. They are a Canadian jewelry company known for their work with stainless, concrete, and powder coating.



I realized that there are ways to do things faster. It took me awhile on my first few, but then I was able to go quickly. The problem was that previous to this, I was either sketching or rendering. I never did much of the in between. I had to learn how to do this. There is a big difference between a sketch render and an incomplete final render.
I realize how helpful this process can be. I already did some more of it for my sustainable pc project this quarter.
I think this could be a good thing for a client because sometimes you do not want them to fall in love with an idea too early; this process makes them realize things are still in the design stages. If you gave them hyper realistic renders early and then find that it cannot be done the client might be very disappointed.
The rest the work for this will eventually be on my coroflot portfolio and my pdf portfolio.

Design from Down Under

Surya Graf is a designer in Brisbane, Australia. He is currently working at a Street and Garden Furniture Company. Most of his website work is personal work. His site is extremely basic but fun and effective. In comparison to my work, his is all set on simple forms and colors. Graphically, in comparison to Colin Roberts, he is quite simple, only the basic and what is needed. I cant really say which is better. I know that simple works well for me (maybe because I am just not good at getting too intricate), but it is definatly personal and no matter what should be whatever displays the work best.

See his site here.