66 posts tagged “design agency”
VECTORTUTS brought to you by
PSDTUTS is a great resource for those of you who are in need of Illustrator
help. Much like PSDTUTS, the site has tried and true tutorials with loads of
tips and tricks that even the savviest user could benefit from. When I personally
tested out one of the tutorials, I was amazed at how it broke down complex
illustrations into steps that I could understand and grasp quickly. It gave me
the tools to be able to create illustrations with simple shapes and shading
techniques. Even if you’re not a talented illustrator, you could pull off
realistic Illustrator drawings by knowing how to implement these techniques. There
were a couple of points I felt needed improvement. For example, the tutorial
asked the user to choose a few different shades of yellow without citing the exact
Hex number. Missing crucial color information can really change an
illustration!
Regardless of your skill level, I highly recommend trying out one of the tutorials, even if it’s just to practice your Illustrator ninja skills!
- C. Lin
It’s all but impossible for me to
go into a bookstore without doing a pass at the design/computer section. When
it comes to Photoshop, you’ll typically find a glut of titles that usually do a
halfway decent job of listing all of its features with brief instructions on
how to use them. There is certainly nothing wrong with these books, and I own
several such titles. In fact, that’s why I almost didn’t even leaf through the
copy of Scott Kelby’s 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3 at my local
Border’s.
Judging from the title, I was expecting it to be a beginners-only book. As it
turns out, the book assumes you already have a comfort level with the finer
workings of Photoshop. The underlying concept of the book is that all other
Photoshop books simply dissect the various components of the application and
tell you how to use them. Do you have a dark image? Use levels to lighten it.
Have a blurry image? Use Unsharp mask. Want to get rid of a blemish? Use the
rubber stamp tool. The issue that Kelby addresses is that many digital artists
don’t know how to assess a photo and determine what needs to be done to it
overall and in what order. In simpler terms, the question becomes how to make a
good photo a great photo. As a master Photoshop user, Kelby audited his own
process as he worked on hundreds of images. He realized that the majority of
photos required a combination of the same seven steps. In the book, Kelby
breaks down each of those seven steps and applies them to real photos using
detailed tutorials.
The 7-Point System is actually a complete course in a book. Readers are
“required” to work their way through the entire 21 chapters, with each chapter
detailing all the things you need to “fix” the tutorial image. Chapters take
about 10-20 minutes to complete. Initial chapters walk the reader through each
detail of the correction, for instance, how to do an appropriate amount of
Unsharp Mask followed by a Fade Unsharp Mask to Luminosity. In later chapters
it simply will say, “then do Unsharp Mask as before.” This technique keeps the pace
of the book up so you don’t get bogged down in repetition.
If you are a Photoshop user, your first instinct when looking at the book might
be: “yeah, I already do all this stuff.” Perhaps, but the book tells you how to
most efficiently use the various tools and techniques. It also helps cut down
on lots of trial and error work when it comes to correcting images (should I
lighten in RAW, with Curves, by Dodging, etc).
This is certainly one of the most enjoyable Photoshop books I’ve purchased for
some time. Even if you consider yourself to be an advanced user, you would
benefit from checking it out.
- S. Running
I was reading a blog post about the relationship designers have with music on Design Observer. Adrian Shaughnessy writes: “I’ve never worked in a design studio where music wasn’t being played pretty much constantly… What is it with graphic designers and music?” Adrian has a good point. The image of a room full of designers with headphones on while staring at the computer screen is almost becoming cliché.
So, what is it with designers and music? Designers often listen to music to drown out ambient noise for focus and concentration. In Shaughnessy’s post, he also talks about the fact that music feeds a designer’s creative sparks. Music has influenced many artists. Paul Rand often cites jazz as a major influence in his work. Jackson Pollack has done the same. And in motion design, music often dictates the visuals of title sequences.
On a grand scale, however, I believe that design and music have always had a symbiotic relationship. For example, I grew up in a household where music was very important. As a result, I gravitated toward the visuals of records and CD covers. The artwork was often imaginative and more creative than anything I had ever seen. One of my favorites was Peter Saville, the English graphic designer most notably responsible for the Factory Records covers promoting such bands as Joy Division and New Order. Saville’s designs were inspirational. In fact, they taught me about graphic design and eventually inspired me to become a designer.
Whether or not music directly affects the creative conscious is still debatable even amongst musicologists. I do believe that there is a connection between design and music even if it’s not measurable. Maybe we’ll never know why designers need to listen to music while they work, but we do know that it’s important and that it has the possibility of being influential.
- C. Lin
Photoshop can be, at times, cumbersome with each new
edition, although this is not to say completely futile. What commences
as a brief look into creating conceptual art, culminates into an
exceptional discovery. PSDTUTS.com
is anything
and everything Photoshop related. Lessons range from applying realistic
tattoos, retouching facial imperfections, creating conceptual art,
building seamless collages, fine tuning techniques of illustration, to
making rad text effects. PSDTUTS is not only a prime
resource for Photoshop tutorials, but it is also an online community
where readers have the opportunity to suggest topics and even write in
for paid publishing on the site. Definitely a hot resource right now.
- B. Juergens
Found: the most compelling art form for both typographers and laymen alike. People of various significance in the art world have taken famous cinematic scenes and re-created them using motley typefaces along with audio to showcase the enigmatic effect on our psyche.
What I cannot wrap my mind around is how delicious these clips are! Always Watching.org provides a synopsis of the concept and plenty little vids so you may make your own deductions. Of course, I have a few faves and a couple that I thought could have been a bit saucier. Don’t forget each video, once played, gives you the option to check out others of this genre, a notion I recommend indulging in.
Top two faves featured on the site have to be dedicated to Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill. The color scheme is punchy, the typeface is felicitous with each movie’s feel while keenly representing the narrative character. In my mind, what separates the rocks from the gems in this case are the aforementioned qualities. The Oceans Eleven and Full Metal Jacket scenes, for example, were desperately lacking this appeal.
The medium itself is an exceptional expression. Like hearing a book complete with action-motivated type and a killer soundtrack of effects. Kinematic Typography receives two thumbs up, four stars, two critics on a sofa, and the Mystery Science theatre 3000 seal of approval. Check it out!
- B. Juergens
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
While
the two are not inseparable, fashion and technology have always been
somewhat related. Let’s take, for instance, the first recorded mention
of a “pocket-clock” in 1462, by Italian clock maker Bartholomew Manfredi.
At the time, such a device was quite bulky and worn around the neck. It
wasn’t until the 16th century that they were small enough to fit into a
pocket. This led to a creation of a specific pocket in the waistcoat
and vest for the watch. Fast forward four centuries to trendy pockets
built in gal’s bags made for mobile devices and handsomely stylized
self-contained cases to be worn around guy’s belts! Reminiscent of the
short-lived, yet notably popular ring-watch of the 80's, the up-coming
GM500 Cell watch is a cousin of wearable technology.
Just
this last week in Hannover, Germany at a global CeBIT (“Where Zeros and
Ones Turn Into Billions”) convention, a plethora of
digital IT and telecommunications solutions were showcased. While some
lacked in Red Carpet sensibilities; I personally would “wear,” at
least, the following three (for a minute!): The G777 (a
multimedia-capable phone equipped with video glasses!), the GM500 Cell
watch (name gives it away), and Germany’s own Mobile Research Center’s
nameless 3-piece wearable computing suit.
As for the Spy Kid-esque visor-like G777, there will be no make-out sessions while donning this more personal ensemble (I swear this was featured in Pretty in Pink way back in 1986!) This multimedia-capable phone allows you to watch movies, read e-books, listen to MP3s, take pictures, and for your voyeuristic pleasure record video. Just don’t use it while driving.
Aaaahhh, the simplicity of the GM500; a wristwatch doubling as your cell… by the way, it does come with a headset so you won’t look goofy talking to your wrist. What the GM500 may do for fashion depletes the need for an array of pockets. It might keep you from endlessly replacing phones that drop out of laps, cars, and tables.
The nameless and domineering Minority Report 3-piece consists of a vest, a glove, and a headset to feed information to a computer without the use of a keyboard or mouse. Unless this getup will also think for me...not so sure its worth all of the trouble....I’ll still have to show up to work, sit in my chair, pass out chocolates, and take a lunch break. Not to mention; look like a total nerdy creep!
- B. Juergens
‘Design View,’ a blog by Andy Rutledge of Unit Interactive, offers up his
opinions on poor web layout conventions which are still being implemented by
some of the most frequented and notably well-designed sites on the internet such
as Apple and Amazon. He dissects the common centered 3-column layout, an early
popular convention used by such sites, pointing out the flaws in design and
usability. Another typical convention many news sites make the mistake of doing
is mimicking old-school newsprint layout. According to Rutledge, these sites
fail to see that the difference between mediums (print vs. web) should be reason
enough to change die-hard habits of design and layout. His points are well taken
and it’s a surprise that even award winning sites Amazon and Apple are still
hanger-ons—especially in this Web 2.0 day in age.
Check out his
criticism and solutions to these design problems.
- Chy Lin
According to a special run by Mike Pesca of NPR news, Barney’s New York, the high-end trendsetting retailer, is using its star power this holiday season to bring attention to the global warming issue with an exclusive collection of environmentally friendly fashions. But in a business built on the transience of popularity, are they really sending out the right kind of message?
It’s no secret that environmentalism has, in recent years, managed to work its way into the mainstream and, to quote NPR, Barney’s joining the go-green bandwagon is certainly a testament to the current popularity of environmentalism. The slogan for Barney’s 2007-holiday season is “Have a Green Holiday,” and the catalogue offers “gorgeous green gifts, fabulously fair-trade fashion, sensationally sustainable swag, orgasmic organic denim and cashmere, environmentally conscious tchotchkes of all descriptions and philanthropic gestures to warm the cockles of your heart.”
Aside from that nauseating misuse of alliteration, it certainly sounds like a godsend for the eco-conscious consumer. After all, this is the way shopping ought to be all the time, not just one season out of the year.
And therein lies the problem.
As stressed by Bill Chameides, Dean of the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University, the environmental issue cannot—must not—become just another fashionable trend. Trends fade, and when a cause becomes a fad, its days are effectively numbered and it is then only a matter of time before people tire and loose interest.
No one doubts Barney’s good intentions, and indeed, any kind of effort to build awareness is well worth the time and effort! Here’s hoping that the current Go-Green Bandwagon riders stay on the wagon … and here’s also hoping that they realize it takes a lot more than wearing the right kind of t-shirt to save the planet.
- Carley Johnson
High-concept design need not be aloof with its intelligence and beauty privy only to the privileged classes. It has every capability of becoming a meaningful part of the lives of every average Joe if such design is applied to everyday things, thereby increasing its functionality. This is already a trend in some markets, such as with economical mid-range retail chains like the United State’s “Target,” which features high design by creative forces like Michael Graves for practical home use.
And so we turn our attentions now to a fabulous website featuring designs that, well, maybe they don’t exactly make the world a better place, but certainly do accomplish the task of incorporating high design with the everyday functionality of the most commonplace of inventions …
Toilets.
That’s right, toilets. According to Socyberty.com, “the design of … public bathrooms, have an impact on the individual and society as a whole. Witness a worldwide initiative designed to educate society and improve the designs and structures of public restrooms.”
From invisible public toilets, to a “urinal bar” (we kid you not), the site features 10 examples of public toilets from all over the world, ranging from the innovative to the artisan to the … uh … bizarre.
- Carley Johnson
