Friday, January 28, 2011 - Joseph Cornell

I like this Cornell Box the best out of all the ones I have seen because it is cluttered and semi random when you first glance at it, it seems rustic and ancient with the stoic statue at the bottom, and the images in the center, the focal points, look like astronomy constellations and are a good contrast to the ancient theme around them.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 - Form and Content

Form and Content

This image is one of those sunday newspaper cartoons, but it has strong form and content in the drawing. It makes light of the fact that the Chinese government controls many parts of the social interactions and views that their citizens have, and even worse (not pictured) are North Korea's censorship, So this image, with its content, is very powerful and risky. Though I doubt China will take much offense to a newspaper cartoon, funny.

This image seems like a playboy spread or some kind of image found in a Men's Magazine, has the form of previously mentioned, but the content is that of a PETA advertisement, showing that people (humans) have the same parts as animals and we're "not that different, after all" or whatever PETA is trying to protest this week. The "Going Vegetarian" is not really my thing, but anyone on the fence about this issue might be persuaded by this image, which is a little more risque and funny, than most activist images, and might win a different markets interests, with being less intrusive and more laid back.

Friday, January 21, 2011 - Definition of Design

Definition of Design

"Design as a noun informally refers to a plan for the construction of an object (as in architectural blueprints, circuit diagrams and sewing patterns) while “to design” (verb) refers to making this plan.^[1] No generally-accepted definition of “design” exists,^[2] and the term has different connotations in different fields (see design disciplines below). However, one can also design by directly constructing an object (as in pottery, cowboy coding and graphic design).

More formally, design has been defined as follows.

(noun) a specification of an object, manifested by an agent, intended to accomplish goals, in a particular environment, using a set of primitive components, satisfying a set ofrequirements, subject to constraints;

(verb, transitive) to create a design, in an environment (where the designer operates)^[3]

^{source: Wikipedia"}

I Think this energy drink ad is a good example of design in our modern day world. Now a days the only types of long lasting, independent (non-government funded) designs have to make money for someone, it may be a collectible or be able to reach millions of people and inspire them to ____ (blank is for whatever you want your "consumer" to do, versatile right?). The definitions of design are varied and usually have a bias towards whichever discipline the author has taken up as his perspective. But in today's capitalist mindset, and today's youth being very connected with Facebook, Twitter, and internet access virtually everywhere, The designers of today need to be innovative and original, or it just will not reach their desired masses.

This image was found on a blog site, where an Advertising graphic designer made (and quickly I might add) a generic energy drink advertisement in photoshop. It does not have a name on the image, as you can see, and just the basic color scheme and form have that "energy" feel to it. You may see this image in the near future with any kind of current energy drink thrown into the mix, and that is when this image will really be seen, only when sponsored by a corporation and endorsed, will this image ever be seen by a very large audience, but at what cost?

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 - Types of Design

1. Interior Design

This type of design "is a multi–faceted profession in which creative and technical solutions are applied within a structure to achieve a built interior environment".

I think this type of design is innovative and constantly dynamic, always changing with culture and trends. This means that a design made in the 70's would not be as aesthetically pleasing today as it was back then.

2. Computer Engineering

Computer Engineering is "is a discipline that integrates several fields of electrical engineering and computer science required to develop computer systems."

I Think this type of design/development field is almost the exact opposite to my first example. Computer Engineering is very technical and though there is not one way to do anything in any kind of design, this has specific knowledge and specifications that have to be met and understood to be able to design a system, unlike interior design, where any person can give their own perspective and bias to create a totally different design.

3. Advertising and Marketing

Advertising and Marketing are "is a form of communication intended to persuade an audience (viewers, readers or listeners) to purchase or take some action upon products, ideas, or services. It includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, to persuade a target market to purchase or to consume that particular brand".

I have my own personal bias towards this type of design, this class, using photoshop and other computer programs to generate graphics and images will help with advertising, but that is just form and method, the content and style are all up to the Marketers and Graphic Designers, This picture is from a video game, Burnout, and was only placed in the video game during the election period and only in swing states, anyone in Georgia would see a Coca Cola commercial, but any swing state had this image, and for good reason, it was relevant and was the advertisers target market. The ad is just the first step in the Marketing process. Figuring out who needs to see the image the most and how many times they need to see it before they get the idea and are persuaded, is the main idea of this type of design.