Monday, April 25, 2011

Journal 04

Faces in photos!
Some faces I cropped from old photos as well as some new ones I found around my dorm.






Course Reflection #2

In the past two weeks we have talked a lot about different goals of design. My favorite lecture was on the Design and the Environment. I am passionate about protecting our environment and I have noticed that very little can be done if the design of our world is not accomodating to easy environmentalism. For instance, environmental lightbulbs are designed so that they last way longer than regular lightbulbs, which is an incentive for the average consumer to buy them. People use whatever the market designs, so designers are working to create products that will minimize environmental harm at an affordable cost. I especially liked the video about the clean water bottle design. Lack of clean water is one of the world's biggest issues right now and it is amazing how there is already a proposed solution to this highly publicized problem.

The lecture on accessibility was also very interesting although I didn't find it as relevant to my own life because a lot of it was geared towards people with disabilities. I have, however, become more aware of the handicap access techniques that are seen throughout campus and how intentionally they are placed.

I loved the scavenger hunt because I got to talk to people in the class more than usually do, and we got to walk around on a nice day.

A03


Scott brought a really nice camera the day of the scavenger hunt and also took the photographs. We started at the Wexner Center because it looked like most of the other teams were going another direction and we didn't want to have to fight for a place to take a picture. Basically we just tried to find the best route around campus so that we didn't have to circle around and walk further than necessary. Also we decided to take turns being in the pictures so that it would make a more interesting blog post. Since Scott took the pictures, he also uploaded them to his blog first so that the rest of the team could copy and paste them.

This is Justin in front of the Student Academic Services, designed by Acock and Associates. It was also constructed in a green way, maximizing solar heat.

The Blog Chair is designed by Karim Rashid. I am reading Plastic Design while sitting in it in the Knowlton Architecture Library. This chair spins when you sit in it and we decided it would be a good chair for playing video games.


This is me in front of the Math Tower on 18th Ave, designed by Philip Johnson.

This is Shannon in front of the Wexner Center for Arts, designed by Peter Eisenman. Construction of this modernist building ended in 1989.

This is our group in front of the Science and Engineering Library, constucted by Philip Johnson.
This is the main entrance archway, under which there is a convenient overhang that has protected me from this rain this April on more than one occassion.


Designer: Mies van der Rohe
This chair is very comfortable and is often paired with an accompanying ottoman.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Reading Reflection 1

The beginning of Design: A Very Short Introduction by John Haskett is about the meaning of design. I think the main purpose of this chapter is to show how open-ended the term "design is. It is really just the solution to problems and bettering the world. Haskett writes a bit about the evolution of design and I think it is interesting that he can classify time periods of design together. The history of design in the world is such a complicated history to generalize, especially because different cultures advanced at different times. To this day, there are still tribes in Africa who are technologically hundreds of years behind American culture. However, Haskett's generalization of the world as a whole was ineteresting because he found patterns in the different types of shapes that were common through time, and how we evolved to the industrial age and now when design is a huge industry.

The chapter on Utility and Significance analyzes why designs are created in a certain way. Heskett asserts that the design of a product serves a purpose. The design of anything can revolutionize a service, product, or really anything. The thing itself is seriously enhanced by the design and appeal to the public. I completely agree with this because I people are drawn to things that are attractive regardless of their content. The chapter on objects, I found to be to broad of a topic to read very coherently.

Heskeett reviews many designers objects, and I liked the section on Ferdinand Porsche because I reviewed him in my A02. I really liked the chapter on Communications because it is about the prominency of graphics in the modern world, which is something I would like to study more and eventually be able to generate on my own. Many of these images, especially street signs, are so familiar to people that we rarely take a step back to analyze the designers' intentions. Chapter 6 is all about environments which most closely relates with interior design. The environment that is being designed is crucial in the function of the space. It basically goes over the fact that environments change along with cultures, and designers work to keep the two in synch.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

J 03

Scott Scherpenberg
http://scottscherp.wordpress.com/


The blogging platform you used is different than the one I used and I like the way it is organized. I like the way it is organized into tabs so that all of your postings are easily accessible and the blog is overall easy to navigate. Your posting about what you learned in the first two weeks of class was very similar to what I learned because I also talked a lot about the meaning of design. The logo on the top of your blog is really cool and makes the whole site look extremely professional and creative. The optical illusion was awesome and the layout of the page for J02 was made it easy to lookout and I liked the brief analyses of the patterns.

Justin Rodgers
I read Justin's blog at http://justinrodgers.wordpress.com/


The top of your blog is really cool and modern and it is clear that the colors and backgrounds have been very thoughtfully selected. I like the way that the blog is designed chronologically and the typefaces are consistent, but I think the font should be larger because I have trouble reading it. J 02 is interesting because it is like a matching game between the image patterns and the descriptions of each. I like that in a way because it allows the reader of the blog to choose which descriptions they want to read but also becomes a bit confusing. The smiley faces in the "About Me". I noticed that you have reiterated how the definition of design is very broad and that is good.

Shannon Catron
http://getzeegroveon.blogspot.com/


The background of your blog is really cool and it shows that you are an artistic student. I liked your reference to Starry Night in your course reflection because that is one of my favorite paintings. I think that is so cool that you were on the set of Sex and the City 2 (even though you think it is the worst movie ever.) It is creative that you used friends' clothing for the patterns that you analyzed. Your blog definitely has a lot of personality to the postings with the personal comments and such and it is actually a lot of fun to read.

A 02

Ferdinand Porsche


Porsche was one of the earliest automobile designers in history, although it is a very common field of work in the current day, a mere hundred years later.  One of his greatest contributions to the automobile field is the invention of the first hybrid vehicles, which run on electric and petroleum for power. Also the picture (below) is Porsche's design of one of  the first sports cars in the world. During World War I Porsche was the managing director of  the company Austro-Daimler, a company that was responsible for much of the wartime machinery.
http://www.unparalled60.com/?p=477


Porsche focused more on the design of sports vehicles and especially racing cars more so than larger sized vehicles. To this day, I think that Porsche's company is more closely associated with sleek sports cars than SUVs or other types of cars.


http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380814&page=319
He created his own firm for automobile design called Porsche. Ferdinand's son also managed a part of the company after he was old enough. They produced goods for the Nazi party during WWII, the most famous of which is the Volkswagen Beetle. The VW Beetle is still produced over 60 years later than this design. Porsche designed many revolutionary automobiles for companies throughout Europe and his legacy lives today as his name holds one of the highest end cars in modern society.
http://www.thelocal.de/money/20091011-22503.html
Works Cited:

Kelly, Prescot. "The Automotive Century: Most Influential People." Auto History Online n. pag. Web. 17 Apr 2011. <http://www.autohistory.org/feature_6.html



Herb Lubalin

Lubalin was an American graphic designer and lived from 1918-1951. The focus of his design was on typefaces and fonts and. He worked at advertising agencies and produced graphic designs mainly for  three magazines: Eros, Fact, and Avante Garde. In 1964 he created his own company for his graphic designs.
http://camberwellillustration.blogspot.com/2009/01/herb-lubalin.html

The typefaces that Lubalin designed, especially Avante Garde, can be found in an average word processing program. I like this particular font and I think that Lubalin's contributions to the field of typography were revolutionary and new because it was not as popular of an art in the 50s and 60s since computers and visual communication did not receive nearly as much attention as they do now. People such as Lubalin changed the face of fields such as typography.
http://jodie13.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/herb-lubalin/


Works Cited:
Brown, David R. "Herb Lubalin — AIGA | the Professional Association for Design." AIGA | the Professional Association for Design. 1981. Web. 17 Apr. 2011. <http://www.aiga.org/content.cfm/medalist-herblubalin

Harry Bertoia


Bertoia is an Italian sculptor and furniture designer. He studied art and design at three different schools in America during his youth. In 1936 he taught metal work but after the war transitioned into designing furniture and sculptures. Bertoia spent most of his life in America although he spent his childhood in Italy. His signature creations are furniture pieces created with wire, which probably is because of his background in jewelry design.
http://thefurryfighter.blogspot.com/2008/04/under-weather.html
His most famous furniture is called the Diamond Chair which is made of metal wires (above). He also designed Side Chair which implements his famous wireframe into a more traditionally shaped chair.
http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/harry-bertoia-side-chair


Works Cited:
"Designer." Knoll. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. <http://www.knoll.com/designer/designer_detail.jsp?designer_id=22

Monday, April 11, 2011

Course Reflection #1

In the first day of class I learned that the term design is a much broader topic than I had previously considered it. Also I was surprised by how much of an impact design had on the industrial world, and has been such a large part in the technology centered world in which we now live. Some of the industrial objects such as the telephone and the toilet are essential in modern society, and the design of these objects was crucial in shaping what we use today. The main point that I understood from the first lecture is that design is an open process: it involves the design of anything, and is not restricted to artistic pursuits.

I learned about the 3 types of design in the design department. The department I am most interested in is the Visual Communication department because I want to learn more about web design and PhotoShop. Also in the lecture I learned thing about fonts and spacing that I have already applied in my classes this week. It is surprising how many fields of work design can apply to.

So far what has especially stuck out in my head is that designers' inspiration comes from a problem that needs to be solved. Designers do not just abstractly think of things, but try to solve inconveniences.

Patterns



This pattern is argyle. I have worn this pattern on my clothing since I was about 12 years old. This particular image is found on Google Images. I am drawn to this pattern because it has several different layers of diamonds and contrasting colors. Certain parts of the pattern jump out at you depending on how long you look at the image. 




This is the zebrra print pattern, which I also wear regularly in my clothing.I found this pattern on Google Images but I have known of the zebra print ever since the first time I saw a zebra. I like this pattern because of the positive and negative values and the randomness of the stripes. It is interesting for the eye to follow because it is not symmetrical.


This is the tweed pattern which I first saw my dad wear when I was younger. He used to have tweed coats that he would wear around. I like it because all of the colors are somewhat drab and not too different. It is simple and the pattern is interesting. Also there is one color that dominates the other colors because it is most frequently which is why this pattern is so interesting.



I found this pattern online on April 11th on Google Images. I like it because it has vibrant colors of the rainbow, but the brightest color (red) is used the most infrequently because it stands out so much. I like vibrant patterns which is why I am drawn to this particular one.




This is a neon pattern that I found  on Google Images this week which I was immediately drawn to.It is vibrant and almost 3D due to the shading.It almost has a glow-in-the-dark feel, like there are tubes jetting out from every direction. The neon colors makes this image especially standout and confuses the eye.



This is basic cardboard, but the top layer is torn of of some of it. I found this image on Google Images this week and liked it because it shows the slight texture of the material. Cardboard does not have a very noticeable texture, but this image captures the bumpy, linear texture of the cardboard and the precise pattern.






I found this image this week on Flickr. It is a basic tree trunk and it has a very organic pattern to it. There are a very narrow range of colors, only white, brown, and black. This pattern shows a lot of depth to the tree bark. The closer to the eye, the lighter the color. Also it is not a symmetrical pattern so it is clear that this pattern is a natural image.



I found this pattern today on the Vera Bradley website, which is a purse designer. This is a paisley pattern that is surrounded by flowers and dots. I like it because the shapes are not uniform or repeated. There are only a select few colors and there is so much going on. There are flowers inside and outside of larger shapes. Also the texture of the purse, which is the diamonds, adds depth to the already-busy pattern.



I retrieved this image on Google images this morning. I have never seen this image before but I like the way it deceives the eye. Upon first glance, it looks like a bunch of flowers, but the petals that make up the flowers are hearts. It is symmetrical and the colors are very earthy.



This pattern is on Google Images that I saw this week, but it is based on the color wheel. It shows dfferent shades of all of the colors on the color wheel, but becomes more of a pattern because it is based on star-shapes. The outside is circular, but the shades are represented in a more symmetrical form, which is why I was drawn to this image.


The Gloss. Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cdn.thegloss.com/files/2010/07/argyle.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thegloss.com/odds-and-ends/know-your-patterns-plaid-vs-argyle/attachment/argyle/&usg=__SNSDBzWkrsVbQWG2WZVBvll_2E4=&h=900&w=1440&sz=779&hl=en&start=0&sig2=byCsbr4KjerJVBebL8O3Wg&zoom=1&tbnid=UMy3pwFPsdNW9M:&tbnh=141&tbnw=198&ei=TvOiTZ22CISa0QGpzfWHBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dargyle%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1273%26bih%3D627%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=403&vpy=140&dur=346&hovh=177&hovw=284&tx=80&ty=89&oei=TvOiTZ22CISa0QGpzfWHBQ&page=1&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0

"Zebra Print." Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9CPxP2l3msk/SwtunjjzJvI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/HhAlxI_tIKs/s1600/zebra-pattern.gif&imgrefurl=http://kidkonnect.org/degeneration-kimono-pattern-chiffon-robes/&usg=__1z644uxVPhL1ArFVW5qynSmv_h8=&h=800&w=1240&sz=84&hl=en&start=0&sig2=xwcWyhQffj1T9hx0UUaXPg&zoom=1&tbnid=8OXjxjwgkiS8JM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=167&ei=V_WiTfq9F4aV0QGw0PSHBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpattern%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1273%26bih%3D627%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=112&vpy=290&dur=1305&hovh=180&hovw=280&tx=161&ty=120&oei=V_WiTfq9F4aV0QGw0PSHBQ&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0>.

Highsnobeity. Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.highsnobiety.com/news/2008/12/08/harris-tweed-hi-top-sneaker/>

Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://ldsfabric.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=65_71

Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.kaneva.com/filestore8/543011/5554855/Neon3_ad.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.kaneva.com/asset/assetDetails.aspx%3FassetId%3D5554855%26communityId%3D0&usg=__gfC6pm_WBqNo6wAIoANcMJvFjrc=&h=373&w=498&sz=189&hl=en&start=0&sig2=q9g341iTZg_vKd8QAgw07A&zoom=1&tbnid=gRkcp-vgKwZcWM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=191&ei=IfmiTaDtMMaJ0QHyq82VBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dneon%2Bpattern%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1273%26bih%3D627%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=134&vpy=133&dur=371&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=198&ty=73&oei=IfmiTaDtMMaJ0QHyq82VBQ&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0>


Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://images.kaneva.com/filestore8/543011/5554855/Neon3_ad.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.kaneva.com/asset/assetDetails.aspx%3FassetId%3D5554855%26communityId%3D0&usg=__gfC6pm_WBqNo6wAIoANcMJvFjrc=&h=373&w=498&sz=189&hl=en&start=0&sig2=q9g341iTZg_vKd8QAgw07A&zoom=1&tbnid=gRkcp-vgKwZcWM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=191&ei=IfmiTaDtMMaJ0QHyq82VBQ&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dneon%2Bpattern%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1273%26bih%3D627%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=134&vpy=133&dur=371&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=198&ty=73&oei=IfmiTaDtMMaJ0QHyq82VBQ&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0>

Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.highresolutiontextures.com/textures/cardboard/cardboard4.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.highresolutiontextures.com/4-high-quality-cardboard-textures&usg=__aSRgWHjHiR8xwbCbcqXsmWWCGDs=&h=2592&w=3888&sz=4610&hl=en&start=0&sig2=XgIewKW0xSxbGY2ZFpHf4w&zoom=1&tbnid=DT2xo9-giKHqnM:&tbnh=139&tbnw=186&ei=L_qiTbqcAqbt0gH2l-iDBQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcardboard%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1273%26bih%3D627%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=124&vpy=291&dur=1324&hovh=183&hovw=275&tx=191&ty=87&oei=L_qiTbqcAqbt0gH2l-iDBQ&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:6,s:0

Flickr. Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/odalaigh/418806862/>



Very Bradley. Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.verabradley.com/section/Color/639.uts>


Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dragonartz.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Vector-Abstract-Flower-Pattern-23-by-DragonArt.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dragonartz.net/2009/07/14/abstract-flower-pattern-vector/&usg=__H_cgGP5Xc0s4hiLoVZU1_kjPKsU=&h=495&w=495&sz=66&hl=en&start=0&sig2=I3MNBBKuQBZLKnYvIuaIlg&zoom=1&tbnid=YZ6xQZ4lkTDeyM:&tbnh=142&tbnw=141&ei=OP-iTci-LMXh0QHvu_WJCA&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dflower%2Bpattern%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26biw%3D1273%26bih%3D627%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=892&vpy=235&dur=645&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=144&ty=165&oei=OP-iTci-LMXh0QHvu_WJCA&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0>




Web. 11 Apr 2011. <http://www.eyeconart.net/blog/?page_id=338>

Sunday, April 3, 2011

A Bit About Me

My name is Erica and I am a Freshman at The Ohio State University. I am involved in the Greek system at school. Currently I am a Pre Business major and I would like to be a Finance major and a Design minor. I like to run and workout in my free time.  In high school I was a cheerleader and a pole vaulter. Also I like camping and backpacking out west. In the summers I work as a lifeguard.

I like almost every type of music but my favorite artists are Coldplay and Kid Cudi. My favorite TV shows are Gossip Girl and Modern Family and my favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.

I would like to go to every continent by the time I am 30, including Antarctica. I love to travel and in general do activities.

I am taking Design 200 because I would like to get a Design minor. I took Design 201 last quarter and really liked it. In high school Multimedia Graphics was my favorite class and I don't want to give up my love of PhotoShop in college. I think Design would be a good pairing with a business major because it is so prominent in business. I hope to gain more understanding about the background in design and eventually become more proficient in programs like DreamWeaver and Photoshop.