Me llamo Jon Duong. This is a blog for design school.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Journal 6: Thirty Conversations on Design
For me the most inspirational design is probably album covers. Good album covers are able to sustain time with moving artwork. They also speak to the personality of the musicians in a way that defines the aesthetic of their musical culture in a way that has largely shaped personalities of listeners.
The problem design would need to solve is idea development. For some it takes a large volume of exploration to get the right idea, and for others good ideas come almost immediately. If there were someway ideas could be generated more efficiently that didn't entirely exhaust creativity, that would be swell.
K. Kirk & N. Strandberg:
Kirk and Strandberg find the iPhone to be the most influential design. Its interface is convenient and practical, allowing for mobile possibilities in business and leisure. Its changed business and social practices. For them, design needs to improve compatibility and universal accessibility in smart-phones. With the growth of social networking, connection is at high demand, and communities need to develop ways of allowing the rapidly growing ways of staying connected with individuals. I would agree with Kirk and Strandbergs points. The iPhone has most certainly changed communication for the better, because it gives us what we want faster. As a society, are patience is lessening, and the iPhone improves this to a degree. I feel that people would most certainly benefit if communities were able to increase electronic accessibility.
Jake McCabe:
McCabe finds paper to be the most influential design. Its creation is strenuous in coming up with the correct colors and textures, but the blankness leaves for much opportunity creatively. For McCabe, design needs to solve sustainability. Designers need to ask the questions no one has asked, for the solutions to those questions can make revolutionary design. I thought McCabe's view on paper was interesting, because I never view paper as an opportunity, but rather as a means of starting something. For sustainability, I felt he made a good point, because solutions to new problems are fresh and eye-catching.
Jessica Helfand:
For Jessica Helfand, students are the most influential part of design. This is because Helfand feels because students thought processes and imagination are ever-changing and growing, that she herself is learning from them. For Helfand, the problem design needs to solve next is problem solving itself. She feels that solutions need to be solved with the long-term in mind, rather than the immediate. I would agree with both of Helfand's points, for I have yet to stick with any one design mindset or philosophy, and though I currently think with immediacy in design, I should probably start to broaden the thought process when it comes to solutions.
Kit Hinrichs:
Hinrichs finds that the most influential design is typography. For him typography expresses emotional value through its letterforms and its versatility allows for usage on infinite applications. What Hinrichs feels needs redesigning are airports. He states that much of the technology within seems to be outdated, as well as the methods of security checks. As far as the relevance of typography goes, I would obviously agree with Hinrichs. There is so much personality in the typefaces I've come to know and appreciate, and I think that it is one the most important aspects of visual communication as a whole. As for the airport redesign, I wouldn't necessarily say it needs revamping just yet. Airports seem to do a good job with crowd control and security measures anyway, so don't fix it if it isn't broken.
Tony Hawk:
A professional skateboarder and owner of several skateboard companies and foundations. Tony Hawk finds the most inspirational design for him comes from Apple products. By developing visually appealing electronics and simplified operating systems, Apple has strived to create products that are more accessible to the general public. I myself agree with Hawk's praise for Apple products because as an owner of a Macbook and iPod, I found that initial use was easily done and the overall look Apple has created really speaks to me. Apple has created a near-minimalist aesthetic that reflects a sense of cleanliness, concision, and simplistic beauty.
The problem design would need to solve is idea development. For some it takes a large volume of exploration to get the right idea, and for others good ideas come almost immediately. If there were someway ideas could be generated more efficiently that didn't entirely exhaust creativity, that would be swell.
K. Kirk & N. Strandberg:
Kirk and Strandberg find the iPhone to be the most influential design. Its interface is convenient and practical, allowing for mobile possibilities in business and leisure. Its changed business and social practices. For them, design needs to improve compatibility and universal accessibility in smart-phones. With the growth of social networking, connection is at high demand, and communities need to develop ways of allowing the rapidly growing ways of staying connected with individuals. I would agree with Kirk and Strandbergs points. The iPhone has most certainly changed communication for the better, because it gives us what we want faster. As a society, are patience is lessening, and the iPhone improves this to a degree. I feel that people would most certainly benefit if communities were able to increase electronic accessibility.
Jake McCabe:
McCabe finds paper to be the most influential design. Its creation is strenuous in coming up with the correct colors and textures, but the blankness leaves for much opportunity creatively. For McCabe, design needs to solve sustainability. Designers need to ask the questions no one has asked, for the solutions to those questions can make revolutionary design. I thought McCabe's view on paper was interesting, because I never view paper as an opportunity, but rather as a means of starting something. For sustainability, I felt he made a good point, because solutions to new problems are fresh and eye-catching.
Jessica Helfand:
For Jessica Helfand, students are the most influential part of design. This is because Helfand feels because students thought processes and imagination are ever-changing and growing, that she herself is learning from them. For Helfand, the problem design needs to solve next is problem solving itself. She feels that solutions need to be solved with the long-term in mind, rather than the immediate. I would agree with both of Helfand's points, for I have yet to stick with any one design mindset or philosophy, and though I currently think with immediacy in design, I should probably start to broaden the thought process when it comes to solutions.
Kit Hinrichs:
Hinrichs finds that the most influential design is typography. For him typography expresses emotional value through its letterforms and its versatility allows for usage on infinite applications. What Hinrichs feels needs redesigning are airports. He states that much of the technology within seems to be outdated, as well as the methods of security checks. As far as the relevance of typography goes, I would obviously agree with Hinrichs. There is so much personality in the typefaces I've come to know and appreciate, and I think that it is one the most important aspects of visual communication as a whole. As for the airport redesign, I wouldn't necessarily say it needs revamping just yet. Airports seem to do a good job with crowd control and security measures anyway, so don't fix it if it isn't broken.
Tony Hawk:
A professional skateboarder and owner of several skateboard companies and foundations. Tony Hawk finds the most inspirational design for him comes from Apple products. By developing visually appealing electronics and simplified operating systems, Apple has strived to create products that are more accessible to the general public. I myself agree with Hawk's praise for Apple products because as an owner of a Macbook and iPod, I found that initial use was easily done and the overall look Apple has created really speaks to me. Apple has created a near-minimalist aesthetic that reflects a sense of cleanliness, concision, and simplistic beauty.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Journal 5: AIGA Gain Conference, Jonathan Harris
Summary:
- Jonathan Harris is a computer programmer and web developer whose goals center on bringing humanity back into the digital age. Initially, Harris was an extremely hands-on person when it came to art and design, filling sketchbooks with elaborate thoughts, paintings, photos, objects, and more. But after losing 8 months of work in a mugging, he heavily reconsidered how he should develop his ideas, so he turned to computers and the web as a means of creating. Subsequently, in his numerous projects and extensive coding and isolation, he became increasingly separated and depressed. Harris's lecture was a summation and address of how technology is shaping how humans socialize and interact, and while technology may make things efficient, humanity is changing in way Harris fears isn't beneficial. So he resolved to create digital applications for the rapidly growing digital society that reinforce human interaction while keeping up with the times.
Reflection:
- Harris brought up many issues I myself am having this semester in terms of design. I understand that it is necessary to step away from my computer once in a while, but I often feel I work so slow and meticulously that often I fear that I don't have time to step away from my homework. Sure I'm sleep deprived, often giving up social time for homework, plus a lot of computer work involved, but that's the major. I understood and agreed full-heartedly in Harris points, and from this I will attempt to balance humanity and graphic design.
- Jonathan Harris is a computer programmer and web developer whose goals center on bringing humanity back into the digital age. Initially, Harris was an extremely hands-on person when it came to art and design, filling sketchbooks with elaborate thoughts, paintings, photos, objects, and more. But after losing 8 months of work in a mugging, he heavily reconsidered how he should develop his ideas, so he turned to computers and the web as a means of creating. Subsequently, in his numerous projects and extensive coding and isolation, he became increasingly separated and depressed. Harris's lecture was a summation and address of how technology is shaping how humans socialize and interact, and while technology may make things efficient, humanity is changing in way Harris fears isn't beneficial. So he resolved to create digital applications for the rapidly growing digital society that reinforce human interaction while keeping up with the times.
Reflection:
- Harris brought up many issues I myself am having this semester in terms of design. I understand that it is necessary to step away from my computer once in a while, but I often feel I work so slow and meticulously that often I fear that I don't have time to step away from my homework. Sure I'm sleep deprived, often giving up social time for homework, plus a lot of computer work involved, but that's the major. I understood and agreed full-heartedly in Harris points, and from this I will attempt to balance humanity and graphic design.
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