Blog #3

Constantly we see logos for companies such as IBM, ABC, UPS, Westinghouse, and others (to see them, go here: http://www.areaofdesign.com/americanicons/rand.htm) and quite possibly never took a moment to stop and think, "who designed those?" Believe it or not, one man is responsible for these memorable branding tools. In 1956, Paul Rand created “not just an identity but a basic design philosophy that permeated corporate consciousness and public awareness” (Mark Favermann, http://www.paul-rand.com/biography.shtml) when he designed the IBM logo. He has since been revered for his work in corporate identification.

Perhaps Rand's corporate design philosophy and process could best be described in his quote:

“Should a logo be self-explanatory? It is only by association with a product, a service, a business, or a corporation that a logo takes on any real meaning. It derives its meaning and usefulness from the quality of that which it symbolizes. If a company is second rate, the logo will eventually be perceived as second rate. It is foolhardy to believe that a logo will do its job immediately, before an audience has been properly conditioned” (http://www.logodesignlove.com/all-about-paul-rand).

Paul Rand has been defined as having a "simplistic" style, though the simplicity is for good reason. According to Rand, “ideas do not need to be esoteric to be original or exciting” and that a logo “cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint” (http://www.paul-rand.com/biography.shtml). However, the thought behind his designs is far from simplistic. Rand's largest influence was modernist philosophy, drawing from philosophers such as Roger Fry, Alfred North Whitehead, and John Dewey. He also drew from designers like Paul Cezanne and Jan Tschichold and made sure to connect their minimalist style to modernist thinking.

Paul Rand has been considered one of the best graphic designers of all time and is the author of the groundbreaking book, Thoughts on Design. Modern advertising still draws from Rand's theories on corporate design, and it is very much reflected in today's simplistic style.

Saul Bass. His name has almost the same effect as his work: unique, simple and sacred to a man who has changed advertising. Bass’ success resides in his dynamic posters, movie title sequences and logos characterized by jagged, yet simple, shapes and paper cutouts. His influences include Laszlo Moholy-Nagy who “introduced Bass to [his] Bauhaus style and Russian Constructivism” (Design Museum). Russian Constructivism was a movement that began shortly after World War I. It focused on using geometric shapes, experimentation, and a devotion to modernity (Art History Archive).
At the beginning of his career, Bass designed mostly film ads. At this time, the typical film ad focused on the big-name actors in the movie in order to generate an audience. This was known as the Big Head Theory. In the mid fifties, Bass broke the mold when he began using a “1920’s Soviet commercial design with an American twist” (SaulBass.tv) for his posters. This style hit it big when Bass began working with Otto Preminger to design a poster for the film Carmen Jones. Preminger was so impressed that he asked Bass to also design the title sequences. Once again, Bass took something basic and turned it into a masterpiece. Instead of producing a monotonous title sequence, Bass worked to create a presentation that would add to the experience of the movie. By doing this, Bass revealed the importance of a film’s opening and closing credits. Thus, making title sequences a form of art.
Another title sequence he developed, under a similar approach, was for The Man With a Golden Arm. Again, Bass was working with Preminger. This time the title sequence adopted a controversial feel to match the public opinion of the film’s storyline. Four years later and still on a creative roll, Bass once again raised the bar for aspiring graphic artists. This is when he began using kinetic typography. Audiences that gathered in theatres to see the 1959 film North by Northwest were taken by surprise to see the movie titles flowing across the screen. Also, while working with Alfred Hitchcock on, North by Northwest, Bass utilized a grid layout used to represent skyscrapers. Bass utilized his designs in the sequence to directly bring the viewer into the middle of the scene: a man getting off an elevator.
The idea of incorporating a title sequence with a movie seems like common sense now days. It is very likely to go to the theater and see a title sequence equally as impressive as the film. A good example of this is the Casino Royale sequence. With out the influence of Saul Bass introductions for movies could be completely different.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj2MBLsAVbY

Blog 1: Things That Float My Boat

3 things that float my boat

A munny is a small blank figure made by kid robot that you can draw on and paint on and do what ever you want to. I like how it is a two-part design process; kid robot designed the shape of munny and did all the packaging and branding, and the consumer designs the rest of the munny - what he wants it to look like and what persona he wants it to take on. I have three different kinds of munny and took time and thought to decide what I wanted them to look like. I like having the power to be able to turn a blank canvas into something great that also reflects me as a person.

http://fc65.deviantart.com/fs41/i/2009/014/5/3/Mini_Munnys_Custom_by_vinyleschiles.jpg

Deviant Art is a website that is basically a ginormous online gallery of millions of people's art work. From paintings to sculpture to animations to poetry and everything in between. I have an account where I upload my art work, but I'm more into the idea of looking at other people's work rather than showing off my own. Using the browse function I can search for things that interest me and styles of art that I like. I can get lost in the site for hours, I will find one person who's art I like, I'll browse their gallery, then I'll look at their favorites and find similar things that I like and just jump from one artist to another and another... It is a real eye-opener to see the kinds of art that exist out there, there are some truly talented people about.

http://www.deviantart.com

Marvel comics just inspire me. The quality of the illustrations is always amazing. They can convey intense action or deep sorrow. Without even reading the words which go along with them you can tell exactly what is happening in the scene just by the feelings that are evoked through the illustrations. I'm still not too sure which direction I want to head in terms of a career, but every time I read a marvel comic and look at the pictures it makes me want to be an amazing illustrator with talents that match those of Greg Horn and Mark Brooks.

http://www.marvel.com/universe3zx/images/thumb/5/54/Iceman442px.jpg/440px-Iceman442px.jpg

Blog#3: Elements and Principles of Design

WEB

Point, Scale, and Plane
Jampack 01 http:yugop.com
Yugo Nakamura’s interactive website is a good example of shapes becoming points in space. Despite its overall minimalist design, this is actually very inviting and playful site. Since the circles are in constant movement, it depends on how they are arranged to find a relative scale between the elements. The contrast in size is obvious and creates a sense of tension, the smaller circles are dwarfed by the bigger shapes falling from the top of the screen creating spatial relationships between them.
Border http:yugop.com
This is another interactive design composed of dynamic planes. Here we can play with negative space, and see the lines becoming planes.

Balance and Rhythm
Amaztype http:yugop.com
The overall design feels stable due to its symmetrical balance. The weight its distributed evenly in space. There is also enough contrast and variation in size and value, and at the same time enough similarity to create a "pulse" or rhythm--contributing to an even more stable design.

Texture
Claygrid http:yugop.com
Here the texture is implied to convey a sense of physical presence. The details of the clay figures give them a 3-D appearance. I also like the contrast of the smooth background against the rough texture of the figures.

MOTION

Point, Plane, and Texture
Pollock Expo in MoMa-TV Spot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ6bu0_txoU
This piece starts with a point becoming a blob of paint on "canvas," which quickly becomes a line following its path in space to then create texture and rhythm. (For this example, I am making reference to one of the links I used in my last blog.)

Rhythm, Balance, and Scale
Graphic City by Z Wang
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RInr1Lq9LxI&feature=related
This is a beautiful piece that uses the Braille system of dots to create lines which slowly become planes to then create buildings. In the process, the artist creates patterns composed of dots. Their slight contrast in size helps create rhythm. In terms of scale, it looks like the buildings are re-created objectively in relation to its environment. And despite the fact that the walls are always moving, these buildings look pretty solid and asymmetrically balanced. I also like how the artist creates tension by activating the edges of the format.

Blog 3: Motion and Web Design

Motion Design

Point, Line and Plane: AT&T-04
Point is used, as a way of conveying depth is this video. The points are used effectively to create abstract computer mouse’s. They are also used very effectively in creating a room by skewing and changing the sizes of the dots, by doing this perspective is achieved. The lines act as a directional tool, guiding us through the ad. Planes are used as television screens, acting as transitional elements.

Rhythm and Balance: ESPN-01
The elements within this piece seem to follow the rule-of-thirds, which make this a well balanced work overall. The pacing of the music coincides with content of the work, by making you think there will be this great crescendo when the athlete completes their task, but are left disappointed.

Scale: Aero-01
Scale plays a huge role in this piece. All of the dots range in size from the most minuscule to ones that take up a good portion of the screen. By having these dots range in size this creates a sense of depth for the face. If the face were to be created out of all dots of equal size the piece wouldn’t have nearly the same effect.

Texture: TeleText-03
In this ad it is all about the texture, all of which is created by letters. The size, proximity, colors, and juxtaposition of all of the letters is key to the texture. By grouping the letters closer together you create harder lines. Some really beautiful transitions occur in this piece by focus large amounts of text together, creating this large mass that is undistinguishable and then morphing into something else.

Web Design

Point, Line, Plane: http://erraticwisdom.com/
Point is used throughout this site as a background grid, with two sizes of dots comprising of the grid segments. Planes are used at the top of the page, acting as these puzzle pieces. They also act as backdrops for the text to reside on. Some of the lines on this site are implied, such as those that are implied on the grid. Lines are used to create separation of the puzzle pieces at the top of the page, as well as separating the top and bottom of the page.

Rhythm and Balance: http://www.electriclead.co.uk/
The main elements on the page (links, telephone, images, body text) are all placed in respect to balance. The images on the page are predominately placed to the right of the page, while the body text takes up the left, making the page well balanced. The main image has great rhythm and movement that seems to tie everything together.

Scale: http://www.biggs-gilmore.com/
Scale is used beautifully in this piece by having your mouse change the perspective of the environment. By changing the perspective some of the images become smaller, others become bigger, and the lines within the background either move closer or become farther away based on their scale.

Texture: http://bfish.free.fr/
This site has really simple, yet beautiful texture. The simple gradations, from black to gray, create this inkblot shaped texture. The kerning and letting of the text on this site also add their own texture.

Point, Line, Plane, etc...

POINT, LINE AND PLANE

Web
http://www.monoblock.tv/
I like this site because it is fun. It shows good use of both line and plane that are used in a fashion that is isn't seen too often. The whole image consists of lines (all of the same thickness) and these lines make up small images and by grouping all of the images tightly together it creates a kind of plane. This plane seems fairly flat and continuous, that is because of the use of a single color and the even spread of white space across it.
http://www.toucouleur.fr/
There seems to be point line and plane everywhere you look in this site. The main elements are the lines that meander across the page. By using multiples of this red line that all follow the same path it creates a plane, but when you think about it it's still only a grouping of lines. The images in the background on both the left and the right of the page use both points and lines to create a delicate texture that kind of fades into the background. I also like how the site title 'toucouleur' uses lines and planes as well and helps unify the whole site.

Motion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u46eaeAfeqw
I am a big stop motion fan, so for point, line and plane I chose a piece that was made for Minilogue. It is all done on a white board and concentrates a lot on the line. I like the idea of how lines can turn into planes and then into completely different planes and then maybe back into lines and then again into something completely different. This is a fun and interesting use of line in a motion piece.

RHYTHM AND BALANCE

Web
http://blogsolid.com/
I think this site has a lovely sense of rhythm and balance. The 3 repeated center boxes are the main focus on the page and act as a grounding point. The 3 swirly vine like things around the page give the site its natural and fluid feel while drawing your eye in to the boxes in the center. There is strong but subtle repetition in this site which gives it a very unified feeling. There;s the repetition of the 3 boxes which are all the same size and same layout, there's the 3 swirly things, the same speech bubble logo inside the boxes, and the logo for blogsolid is the same shape repeated 3 times and fitted together like a puzzle.
http://www.strawpollnow.com/
This site, which I'm not going to say a lot about, shows good use of balance in a page design. The page is framed by a horizon line along the bottom and has a strong defining site title at the top. The information on the page is organized into 3 columns, with the outer columns being the same size - creating an even balance for the columns.

Motion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLy0Cm8Pp_M
The is the opening title sequence for Hard Candy. I feel that this motion piece handles balance and rhythm very well. The rhythm is constant: smooth and clean and ties in with the dream-like music. The red square that we follow through the piece shows balance in each frame that it is in. Each time it stops, it works with the elements around it to create a perfect still image. White space and negative space is handled well and at no point does any element look out of place.

TEXTURE

Web
http://www.cameronmoll.com/portfolio/
I like the texture in this site a lot. It gives the site it's warm earthy traditional kind of feel. This is a site for graphic designer Cameron Moll and I believe it is effective at obtaining clients. It is soothing and inviting and reminds me of hand made paper and other traditional crafts. I believe that clients will like the feeling that this site gives them and will be more likely to choose this designer because of it.
http://bfish.free.fr/
This site is all about the texture. It is one big gray scale paint or ink stain that serves as the background to the site. From what I could tell by looking at the about section of this site (which is all in French) the site seems to be for some kind of artist or web designer. Textures say a lot about the site and so from the use of this paint splatter we should have already presumed that this is a site for some kind of artist. The use of black and white may suggest that he is old fashioned and the haphazard feeling the site conveys may say a lot about the artist as well.
http://www.kulturbanause.de/
I'm not going to go into detail on this site, I just really liked the cracked texture it uses and wanted to point it out.

Motion
http://mmbase.submarinechannel.com/titlesequences/video.jsp?video=32669
This is the title sequence for the film Lucio. The film is about a famous money and document forger, and so this motion piece uses a lot of paper textures in it. They are just simple paper textures, but they help set the movie's theme. A lot of the backgrounds are also magnified which provides an interesting composition and creates another different texture.

SCALE

Web
http://www.trinta.art.br/
I think this site shows use of scale very well. The huge number 30s contrast the much smaller type in the page. We can see especially in the lower laft that the large 30s are on the verge of being transformed into a design element that sinks into the background. I like this use of scale because it takes ordinary things like recognizable numbers and scales them up and uses them in a way that they would not normally be used.
http://cayena.es/
The scale in this site is obvious. Very large type is placed on an image of a cayenne pepper that is highly zoomed in so that the pepper appears huge. The type and the image work well together and provide a powerful opening image for the site. The site is effective at using small type as well which appears at the top of the page without distracting from the larger image.

Motion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1NnyE6DDnQ
I chose a coca cola commercial for my scale piece. Scale is obviously a large part of the commercial because it has the coke bottle portrayed as being huge, when we are used to it being much smaller. The interaction between all of the tiny characters and the large bottle is fun to watch and gives the viewer a whole new perspective on the product.

blog III

Rhythm and balance
This video I found I think shows a remarkable style of rhythm and balance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A08HQP_SlOA
The way the paint explosions are conducted with the music and the way it just all sinks together is amazing.

Scale
This next site I thought was scaled well. The images are large enough that they stand out but yet they do not dominate the whole page. Every thing seems to have its space.
http://www.epitaph.com/


Texture
This site has many different textures that are very pleasing to the eye.
http://www.texturewarehouse.com/gallery/


Point and line
I feel this video I fond shows good point and line. The type starts and ends on the same plan and our eyes are always centered to the screen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOPJ90FRZHI