8 posts tagged “creative”
Element just “pushed” the evolution of the skate deck with the introduction of their “Push Construction Positive Negative Series;” which is a really long name for a series of skate decks…but seemingly worth every last syllable. The deck is a very intricate and scientific combination of carbon fiber and helium, weighs next to nothing and is more durable than any deck in production.
So, why is someone who hasn’t done an ollie in about 20 years, let alone ever attempted a shove-it, so fascinated with the announcement of a new deck? Well, there are two main reasons and this new deck takes both of those thoughts into consideration.
Construction. Even though I don’t try these stunts at home, I LOVE to see someone bust a crazy, hardcore trick without thinking twice about it. Radical stuff no one would have even thought of trying 20 years ago. The Push decks are crafted from a carbon fiber, which is a virtually indestructible material. Infuse that material with helium and you get a material that is super lightweight. Super durable + light as air = a killer deck that won’t let you down…ever.Design. I love good design. Who doesn’t? Not only is the actual construction an example of highly creative thinking, but the monochromatic design is pure minimalist perfection, combined with a simple variant wood grain veneer on the top screen. To top it all off, it is totally eco-friendly! Element stays true to it’s “green” values by using wood from selectively harvested trees.
Don’t take my word for it though, check it out for yourself!
- P. Tade
Grunge Design is a chaotic and abstract design style from the 1990’s arguably coined by David Carson, dubbed the ‘godfather of grunge.’ Ok, fast forward to 2008. Smashing Magazine.com posted an article last week which states: “Shiny and glossy design elements are now officially outdated. Just like retro is becoming trendy again, the grungy look appears to rapidly gain on [sic] popularity.”Is 90’s grunge design coming back? And how do designers feel about it?
One of our Art Directors here at Tuesday Creative, Andrew Seles, took particular umbrage with this from the Smashing post: “In our everyday environment we’re unlikely to find ideal geometric forms or pretty shadow effects as they are manifested by glorious web 2.0-designs.” Andrew’s response: “While this once was the case, it is increasingly less so. Not only is media sleek these days, but our environments are becoming more refined. Whether it’s the latest in architecture and environmental graphics, a new chair at Ikea or snacking at a boutique eatery like Pink Berry, the real world places we inhabit and the objects we interact with are more polished and highly designed than ever.”
Jennifer Murse, a designer at Tuesday said: I DON’T love the aesthetic when it’s done well, but I hate it when it’s done poorly.” Murse went on to cite these examples, which in her opinion, display well executed (Subdued.net), (Misprintedtype), (THS), (MindTwitch), Grunge Design, poor use of (Jeremy Zevin), (Satsu) it, and even some who claimed a grunge aesthetic, but were not successful (AJMiles), (WebDesigner) in pulling it off.
This co-opt of 90’s design is best captured with the following quote from Fresh Styles for Web Designers: Lo-Fi Grunge Style…
“If there is indeed ‘nothing new under the sun’ (as the author of
Ecclesiastes repeatedly asserts), one way to come up with a ‘fresh’
style is to go back in time a few decades, cut what you find, and paste
it into the present.” Today’s grunge design, however, is not nearly as
exciting as the 90’s not because ‘it’s been done’, but because the new
grunge no longer feels like a rebellious aesthetic. David Carson’s edgy
abrasive design and typographic art is now being appropriated to
resemble a scrap-book party rather than a military coup. On the
flipside, negative feedback from the public that the 90’s aesthetic was
illegible and confusing may have driven today’s designers to create a
more palatable and modern grunge. For better or worse, grunge has
officially returned!
Ironically, it may be a misnomer to call grunge retro. After all, did
it ever really go away? Take a look at distressed fashions and
splattered rock graphics of the last decade. Torn edges and weathered
textures might be as much a nod to the 1990’s as they are to the
1890’s. The steady recycling of yesterday’s styles may already have
lapped itself several times over. The grunge movement of the 1990’s was
itself a throwback to the counter-culture of the 60’s and early 70’s
(Woodstock II, anyone)? Have we reached a critical mass where the term
“retro” is an oversimplification? Perhaps, much of today’s work may at
best be “inspired by” or at worst grossly “derivative of” what came
before it.
- B. Juergens, C. Lin, A. Seles
Kozyndan, the LA-based artists who also happen to be husband and wife, are perhaps best known for their whimsical city illustrations. Their New York City panoramas are particularly popular and “Uprisings,” the playfully tongue-in-cheek take on the famous “Great Wave Off Kana Gawa,” is perhaps Kozyndan’s most famous work.
It seems that the fine folks at Sony’s Passion Pictures are fans of these particular Kozyndan pieces as well.
Yesterday, a passionate blogger over at Gizmodo point-blank called Sony’s new TV spot for their Bravia HDTV’s a “rip off” of Kozyndan’s work. The ad is a toe-tapping, clever little spot that features stop motion claymation of the bright, multi-colored bunnies that run rampant in Kozyndan’s NYC panorama, climaxing in a tidal wave bursting with bunnies that’s straight out of “Uprisings.”
Over on the Kozyndan Livejournal, they admit that “Its hard to think that people at Passion Pictures did not have this early panoramic of ours in mind when they created this new spot for the SONY Bravia line.”
As it turns out, two years ago Passion Pictures requested samples of Kozyndan’s work and never followed up after the samples were sent.
The fact that over seven hundred days have passed since requesting those samples does much to suggest the Passion Pictures didn’t intentionally set out to … er … sample Kozyndan’s work specifically for their Bravia line.
But in the same way that Rolling Stones fans will immediately recognize that “She’s A Rainbow” is the song blaring over the TV spot, Kozyndan fans will certainly likewise recognize that those are unmistakably Kozyndan’s bunnies taking over the city… or at least their reincarnated counterparts. (And while the Stones will no doubt have been amply compensated for use of their song, Kozyndan will, sadly, emerge entirely empty-pocketed.)
So, are Passion Pictures guilty of a shameless rip-off or should Kozyndan be flattered by their creative inspiration?
Have
a look and decide for yourself
- Carley Johnson
Ah, the Creative Process. The how, what, where and why’s of creation. Just the thought of it is enough to drum up furrowed brows and scratching heads from Creatives everywhere. We're baffled by it because it is a difficult thing to pin down our own creative processes and define the actions we take when we create.
From my perspective as a designer behind the computer, a project manager equipped with an Excel document and from attending countless creative meetings, I’ve reached one hippy dippy conclusion: it all stems from the heart.
No matter your methodology, your creative process should come from within. Otherwise you might cripple yourself by over thinking it.
- Chy Lin
Remember back in elementary school all those cut and paste projects you would do for class? The joy of folding, pasting, and seeing your creation slowly come to life doesn’t have to end now that you’re in an office for 9 hours a day. Papercraft is sweeping the intertubes and you too can have your own little paper buddy to keep you company during those long days at work. The creative team at Gloo Digital Designs has designed a simple flash app that lets you customize and print a cute Gloo Man (or Woman). All you have to do is print, cut, and paste.
But maybe you’re feeling a little more up to the challenge. Papercraft ranges from very simple and basic designs to extremely detailed and time consuming ones. A simple google search will lead you tons of sites providing ready to print designs and instructions. One of my favorites is Advance Wars Bunker. The first little tank took me 5 hours to build and I can’t wait to complete the entire army and invade the space here in the office. :)
- Miguel Campos
His podcast, American Copywriter,
is popular with Creatives all over the world and its little wonder why
with musings like “Improving your creative life for tomorrow starts
today.” A stop-the-insanity plea to creatives everywhere, Tighe’s
recently posted podcast is a seven-step guide to regaining your sanity
in an environment that is rarely sane. McTighe’s seven suggestions are
the stuff of wonderfully common logic that is both refreshing and
reassuring. Refreshing in that McTighe is a man with both feet firmly
planted on the ground and reassuring in the ‘I’m glad it’s not just me’
sigh of relief it gives you—the overstressed, overworked,
underappreciated Creative.
And the seven steps are…
- If you have to revise a concept, the copy or a layout more than three times, you need to kill the idea.
- Do research first, not last.
- Ask for more mandatories.
- Tell the truth.
- And creatives, tell the truth about your ability to get the job done.
- Stop when it’s time to stop
- Don’t blame the creatives for not caring after round of revisions 13.
For an in-depth discussion of these 7 steps, read McTighe’s entire posting
- Carley Johnson
Here's an inspiring read on 'How to Be Creative' for those of use who wonder whether staying up late to start a blank for blank was just a waste of time. Now you can justify keeping your day job to fuel your creative juices because...well this blog says so!
Video on YouTube inspired by the Blog
- written by Chy Lin produced by Aaron Nather
Hello VOXers. We're a design studio in North Hollywood, right on the corner of Lankershim and Magnolia (you know the one – where Julia Roberts got clocked taking an illegal left in Erin Brockovitch). We've been evaluating new blogging packages for internal company collaboration. VOX has such a great feel to it that we decided to experiment a bit by creating an open forum for both our employees and our friends to interact, collaborate and basically just have a little fun!
We're approaching our two month anniversary in our new studio on the eighth floor of the Academy building. We wanted a big, open production floor so we removed almost all the walls and raised the ceiling to nearly the height of the helipad on the roof (we hope to someday take advantage of that, too!). We have a really nice view of the foothills, and a clear line of sight to the offices of two of our clients, Disney and NBC Universal.
Nice to meet you all. We're looking forward to getting to know our fellow VOX-enabled design professionals and enthusiasts in the coming months. Feel free to get in touch with us if you want to chat, or have lunch in NoHo.
Cheers,
Aaron
