Day : Kid Day

I spent some time with my nephew and niece today. I observed them doing what they do best, and that is having fun. Everything kids do is a learning experience for them. The funny thing is that when kids are growing up, they want to become bigger so they can do big kids stuff. When I am getting older, I want to become younger and do little kids stuff. It is funny how things work in life.

What is a gateleg?

So I asked some of my family what feature they most enjoy about a table, and they replied that like really enjoyed gateleg tables. While I had seen these tables before, I never knew that were called gatelegs. So I began researching about them. They're pretty cool. The sides can fold up to create table space or down to conserve it. The ability to adapt and change to different environment kind of mimics the idea behind my original product and I thought that was pretty neat. Who says tables have to be static objects?

Jessie playing a rubber band banjo

This weekend I went home and got to spend some time with my Parents, Brother and his family. My little niece Jessie is three and we collaborated on making some fun homemade instruments. We took some paper plates, took some rubber bands. She provided the nice decorating and I made my own instrument and until she discovered a much cooler toy (the Barbie Mobile) we had maybe ten seconds of music making. Lots of fun. I highly recommend making your own musical instruments. Sometimes you gotta dance to the beat of your own drum.

save the earth

While our family was going around shopping I saw a store that made me think of Nature's Niche. It was one of the natural dead sea scrub like places, and I asked my brothers what they thought of companies like that and who their target audience would be and my younger brother said health nuts, and my older brother claimed Dirty Stinking Hippies. So Todays about the Hippies.

the can

this morning, at five in the morning, i participated in the crazy shopping that occurs the day after thanksgiving. all of those people, minus myself, have so much energy! getting up really early or staying up all night just to be part of the madness and get good deals on christmas presents! in one store, i was almost run over by the manager and definitely would have ended up on the ground and all that fun stuff. scary. all those shoppers and employees seem to have a plethora of energy...it just seems to continue for hours and hours!!! anyway, i decided i wanted to explore bottling (or in this case canning...haha) all the energy that black friday shoppers have. i have some figures demonstrating energy and crazy motion and they are trapped in a can.

Day of Thanks

My family is spending thanksgiving in vegas, at the Marriott Grand Chateau. This is the first Thanksgiving in 7 years that we are all together. Because we are in a hotel our food is mostly pre-made. Our turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy are provided by Whole food's Marketplace, and the rest we are putting together ourselves. I was thinking about how we are collaborating with these different companies to make our holiday successful. So it got me thinking about how the brand I have come up with could do the same thing. Nature's Niche could easily become a company specializing in natural foods and merchandise, much like Whole Foods. I thought I would represent this by having Nature's Niche Marketplace hosting the First Thanksgiving dinner.

FullGive (day 14)

Here is a sneak peak of what I am currently working on with my brother. It is amazing what working with others can do to move you forward with new and fresh ideas. I am excited to work with him and others while I am here at home (American Fork) during the break. Everyone is so creative in their own unique way and it is fun to tap into their creative wells for inspiration.

Day... what ever

So I wanted to keep running with the idea from yesterday. I am at my parents house and so I asked them what first came to their minds when I said the word identity, and then what came to their minds with the work cendrillon. They actually have no idea that we have even design a product dealing with cendrillon as a perfume or as any tangible object for that matter, so the results are actually interesting. I didn't have all of my resources at my disposal here in St. Jiggity but I think that the results speak for themselves. I was hoping that my bother and his family were going to be here but I forgot that they are out of town. So... I think this experiment will continue in this direction.

momentum...

It has been too long but I am finally back in my studio working. I collaborated with both Amanda and Brenna on this, the nose is Brenna's, the ears, Amanda's. This is a prototype that will eventually be cast and then hopefully ready for an installation I am trying to get done before the first of the year.

Kids and Music

Ah the soothing sounds of Mozart....zzzzzzzzz

(Below— pictures taken from my Mother's first

grade class).
Today I collaborated with my mother who is a first grade teacher. We got talking about the effect of music on kids. She talked about playing different kinds of music for her first grade class. It's interesting how instantly they react to music she noted. When she puts on something calming like Mozart after recess they come in and they are generally more relaxed and more focussed. When she puts on something with a more upbeat and faster tempo they start dancing around and acting hyper. That's not to say that children shouldn't be exposed to all different kinds of music. I believe they should learn about all kinds of music and broaden their horizons, but music does have an impact depending on what they listen to.

I grew up listening to things like Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, but not exactly by choice at first. My Mother listened to it. It wasn't until many years later when I discovered Vivaldi's Four Seasons that I fell in love with Classical music.

observation

i am at this very moment sitting on the floor inbetween a row of payphone and a row of slot machines in the las vegas international airport.

what better place to observe people than an airport? people from all walks of life can be found in this one building. i got to the airport many hours before my flight left so i have spent my time working on various projects, people watching, and considering the impact design has on crowds.

what is the purpose of design? i would argue that the most important purpose of design is to communicate. i might even go so far to say that the most successful design communicates to large groups of people, no matter where they come from or are going, in a clear and concise manner. airport signage is the perfect example of this.

it is however, not captivating. no one studies the beautiful forms and intricacies and details of the signs in the airport. those here stop and look at it to acquire the information they need and move on.






so: the conclusion i have come to after all this observation?
make it simple. make it universal. make it easy to understand. (great design is transparent -paul rand)

BUT- give it that extra little OOMPH to make people sit up and take notice.

I gave a piece of paper to my family with the name of both the companies that i've made up and this was the result. I ask them to think of things to describe what they think the company would be about. It was kinda cool to see an outside look at it.

What would you pay?

Today I asked 20 different people how much they would pay for a glass of lemonade from a lemonade stand. The majority of the people said the highest amount they would see them spending was $.75. How much woud YOU pay????

Roberts Crafts vs. Glo Energy Drink

Well today I was working on some art and organizing my portfolio so I had to make a trip to the craft store to get some supplies. While I was there I decided to stay and peruse the store instead of going directly for my items and getting out (like most men usually do... lol). Anyway I don't really know if it just a "Utah thing," or if it is everywhere, or just a seasonal thing but there were a TON of people in the scrap booking section and as I was observing I realized that it is quite an interesting trend. For that reason I borrowed some of my aunt's scrap booking stuff and decided to morph it with the geometric type art I have been making lately.

The Wish of "flamenca"

Yesterday as I sat writing my Christmas list with my roommate and neighbor, the idea of including nice perfume on our lists came up. So, natually, I paid close attention. It was interesting to hear how the conversation ranged. Christina spoke of how she's put a lot of money into high quality perfumes for her mom and sisters before, but she's never chosen any for herself. She stated that she's ultra picky and finds it difficult to decide what she really wants to convey in her scent. She did mention that in no way did want to wear what other women wear; she wants a signature aroma. Megan said she wanted a perfume that made her feel good about herself consistantly. I want one that gets this reaction everytime I put it on.

CCMA

Play video in another browser/tab while you view this image and await her solo.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y75ryZC8LB0

road trip!!!!!!!

i pretty much drove myself insane today. i drove for 8 hours...8! by myself! anyway, those are the people i chose to observe for this day, people on road trips. while observing these people, i was also part of this group. it appeared that most of these people needed some way of entertaining themselves (like racing other people like they did in vegas, listening to music loud, or having other people in the car to talk to) so that they can keep awake and focused on making it to their destination. so i thought it would be interesting to market glo to those on road trips to maintain focus and awakeness and maybe it can make them more easily amused to help them stay wide awake. glo goes to the road trippers!!!

Day 14

The first thing I did when I approached this project today was asking my mom, dad, and sister what the first thing they thought of when I mentioned my brand Soto. It was really interesting and amusing to not only see what they come up with, but also how they executed it. My sister thought of a brand of sake (the popular drink from Japan), my dad a carbonated drink, and my mom thought of bubble bath. And while my sister and dad just quickly drew something that came to their heads, my mom had a hard time thinking of something to come up with, and when she did she tried to make everything as perfect as she could when it was her practice paper. So it was fun to see how my family thought about making up something really quick in a way they never thought of before.

Freudentisch: The Game!

There are several inspirations for today's post. Number one, I noticed that many artists enjoy designing cards. Number two, card games are considered a social activity. I began to consider what would happen if Freudentisch were a card table. Or, better yet, what if Freudentisch came with a pack of cards? I'd call that a purchasing perk.

oh daddy..

for today's collaboration I asked my Engineer daddy what the first thing he thought of when he heard my brand.. and he responded with ditch.. wow so very creative. I asked him why he said that, he said "cause its rhymes, thats creative right?" But then it got me thinking, a niche in nature would be a ditch. so I thought it was interesting that he went to logical with out being prompt to.

Day: Different Meaning to Neverland?

I decided to talk with my buddy Tomo today about my project. Now, Tomo is from Japan and I wanted to see what his thoughts were about Neverland.

Right when I mention something about Neverland to him he said, "What I hate Neverland! That is where Micheal Jackson touches kids!"
I replied back to him saying, "No, no Tomo! We are talking about Peter Pan and Hook Neverland. Not Micheal Jackson Neverland."

I never thought about what the other term could mean when people thought about the word Neverland. Most people would of thought of Peter Pan, but I guess there are some people out there that associates the word to something else. After I cleared that up with him, he pretty much said that Neverland was a place where there is fantasy with Peter Pan and Hook. Then I told him to write down the word Neverland in Japanese for me. I guess Neverland can have a different meaning.

Underground: Melodic Heavy Metal/Hip-Hop

I wanted to take a look at the extreme difference in not just design, but matter of perspective, between my two current favorite albums. On the left is The Great Southern Trendkill: Pantera. with songs like Drag The Waters and Floods. On the right is the new K.O.D. : Tech N9ne, and it has songs such as Blackened The Sun and Low. I just wanted to see how these two design styles, in there drastic differences could influence one another. I'm starting to get convinced that I have a musical taste more on my grandmothers side of the family.

Shop time

So I'm back in my hometown for the holiday break where my dad helped me construct my table. This made me thinking about the start of the project when everything was just an idea swimming around in my head. Looking back, it must have been really comical to see me struggling to try and explain my idea to my dad as we worked on this project. He was always willing to help even though he probably had no idea what I was talking about. While I viewed the project as an assignment he was just viewing it as a chance to help me out.

Cable Table reDesign.014

I decided to collaborate with my cat today, when I walked past him and saw him melted into the floor. I realized he is the perfect depiction of my anti-audience. He's anything BUT a lifehacker. He's lazy, clumsy, apathetic, and sometimes bratty.

set free

Chris and I decided to switch brands for a day, to see what the other would come up with for our unique brands. Since I too never want to grow up I had a lot of fun with Chris's brand. I was driving into vegas to send the holiday with my family and I thought what better place to be called never land, Its the place where grown ups come to be young and carefree again. So Vegas is the modern Neverland..

CCMA ballet

Exploring the ballet side of the arts.

design rules v.2

i am excited to use other people as my inspiration for this project.

today i decided to get back to the original concept of this book and ask those around me for their input. as you probably remember, my book is a collection of my philosophies about design. i asked several people i encountered throughout the day their philosophies about art (i decided to go easy on them and not ask about design specifically- since a great number of them were not artists in any discipline).

the question i posed was: can you sum up your personal philosophies about art in one sentence?

the responses i got were very interesting, and there were some common themes.

presenting design rules v.2:



Art is personal.
Art should make you happy.
Its the detail that matters.
Art should not be defined.
Art is part of being well-rounded.
The arts are integral to humanity.
Art should make things beautiful.
Artists define art by what they create.
Art is lots of opportunities to express yourself.
Art helps one to find beauty in things that are not beautiful.

how would you answer this question?

how would you answer it if the question was please sum up your personal philosophies about design in one sentence?

Unspoken Leader.

I have been thinking about this one for a wile, and today I talked it out with some people. But in every situation, every group, there is "the leader". The leader dictates what is acceptable and what is not. what to do, and what not to do. Most of the time its purely unspoken and unrealized. Even the leader does not realize it.

So i thought, how can my brand be applicable to the Natural Leaders out there? and for some reason, I thought of this little statue i have. he is the wise man that people take heed of. The unspoken leader. The quiet master.

Day: Switch-a-roo

Nicole and I got together and decide to switch projects for one day. I wanted to see what Nature's Niche would look like if it was in the game Fallout 3. I redesign the logo and put the logo with in the game.

Day 13

I realized these past two weeks that when I originally designed the Soto brand it was extremely personal in a way it could help myself relax in a sense at the end of the day. So I got to thinking about what would be relaxing and comfortable for others. I asked my mom what relaxes her the most and she easily replied "reading", as it's quiet and helps her get her mind off of things she would rather think about later. After getting this answer I asked her what her favorite books are, gather them, and place them in the way she felt organized.

Cable Table reDesign.013

My Dad is very left-brained. He has a BS in Aeronautical Science, but before he got his degree, he attended a technical school and was a a draftsman for several years. I asked him to sketch the table in the way he would want it. He originally came back to me with a sketch of the existing cable table, but I pushed him to add in the things that he would prefer to add. Those are the notes at the end and the shelf underneath. This week I really want to explore what left brained people would prefer in the table - this is the start of that adventure. Market research, in a way.

My Public

So I was thinking about something I could do to collaborate with the public. Then I started to think how most of the time when design is really good it is basically invisible. Then I thought that it would be fun to get some people who are not in the design field to help me design some logos. So basically I talked some of my family and friends to just create some logos or designs for the Glo Energy Drink. This is what came of that.

I was thinking about taking each one of these designs and elaborating on them and cleaning them up more but we all had fun with these so I don't know if I will.

The Joy of "flamenca"

Today's exploration is of the exuberance and elation of dancers of the flamenco and as seen by the audience, or in terms of "flamenca" perfumes, the exuberance and elation that is gained by the wearer and the smeller :)

Soap bubbles on a sunny afternoon evoke a delicate and sure happiness. They expand and grow in a delightsome fashion, whilst the time of the inevitable popping of the bubble quite literally hangs in the air. This pop itself is fun and exciting to witness, yet the destruction of it leaves the viewer at a peak of emotions with nothing to behold. The flamenco dance is thrilling and wild and the next moment melancholy and subdued. This delicate balance heightens the viewers' visceral experience and therefore the overall enjoyment.

the Way

I remember today, seeing the exact same keyboard controls for music on dan Freeza's Keyboard, to what I have on my logitech wireless, just different configuration and design.

Freudentisch: The Best of Breakfasts

Since the beginning of this project I have been to several other apartments where this particular type of table is being used. They weren't nearly as awesome as the ones made for class, but it brought into mind the question of how a college student would use such a table. I began to see it as a sort of 'breakfast' table, seeing as how several students I know won't bat an eye at eating in their bedroom. So, why not move the breakfast table from the dining room into the bedroom? Now that's economy of space.

Day 13

I asked some of my friends what there first thoughts were when I gave then one word. Some had some predictable meanings and ideas, but others had some really interesting ideas and first impressions. This is going to be fun!

"Why is this art?"

So, the event I'm about to explain did not occur today but I was keeping this part of the assignment in mind when it happened so that I could use it now. It counts, ok. Haha.

As I'm sure many of you know, I didn't have a whole lot of non-digital work this semester to put in the Art Insights Showoff this year so I just put in my Altable product and packaging. I set my work up and went to go grab some title cards. When I came back, there was a large crowd surrounding my table. I was curious what was happening so I slowly walked up and listened to what the other students were saying. They were starring at my table asking each other "why is this art?" They all thought I had just bought a table and stuck in the corner! They didn't even bothered to make the connection between the table and the packaging. Quietly and slowly, I squeezed my way to the front of the crowd and placed the title cards on the table and the packages then turned and walked away. As the audience suddenly made the connections that it was a hand-made project and that the packaging accompanied it, I could hear audible "ahhhhhs." It was hilarious. Then they nodded in approval of the work and continued to browse the rest of the exhibits.

I found it hilarious how the group had gotten confused and a little mad thinking I was trying to put up some ready-made art in the show. It's amazing how a little detail like a title card can impact the audience's perception so much.

So i collaborated with a friend who is not an art or graphic design major but has a little knowledge about all that stuff and i was interested to know what he thought of when i showed him the name of the company that i had. I went with the furniture store rather than the candy company. All i gave him was the name of the company and had him show me what he thought of when he saw it. it was interesting that he came up with a logo. And i think its pretty dang awesome for not having any of my input on what the company was about or what i wanted for it.

Music as color

Today I've been thinking of music and painting and ways in which they overlap. When I listen to different kinds of music and instruments I get a very real sense of color and shape. High pitched instruments-trumpets, flutes, etc-come across as triangular and bright in color, whereas the piano to me has a broad spectrum of color and has the effect of washing over one like ripples of water. That's the effect, or mood that I wanted to portray here—the essence of music flowing out in concentric rings of light and hue.

identity type

ss#
id
finger print
monkey vs. human

controlled identity vs. uncontrolled